Most wickets in Big Bash League: Sean Abbott heads the charts

The Big Bash League is Australia’s leading limited-overs franchise cricket tournament, which marks the beginning of the summer season in the country every year with its schedule running from December to January/February.

Since its inception in 2011, several top bowlers have plied their trade in this T20 league, with a few of them making it to the all-time charts for the leading wicket-takers.

Sydney Sixers’ pacer Sean Abbott has taken the most wickets in BBL history. The Aussie has taken 154 wickets in 109 matches and continues to torment the opposition batters to date.

Most wickets in Big Bash League

Sean Abbott - 154 wickets in 109 matches

The Sydney Sixers seamer is the leading wicket-taker in BBL and has played every edition since the introduction of the tournament in 2011.

Abbott, who played for Sydney Thunder for the first two seasons, bagged a total of 10 wickets in 14 matches.

Since 2013/14, the bowling all-rounder has been a part of the Sydney Sixers franchise. His most successful individual campaign was 2016/17, where he took 20 wickets in 10 matches as Sixers finished runners-up to Perth Scorchers.

The 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns saw his team bag back-to-back titles as he took 14 and seven wickets, respectively.

Andrew Tye - 144 wickets in 101 matches

Following a one-year stint with Sydney Thunder in 2013/14, Andrew Tye switched to Perth Scorchers for the 2014/15 campaign and made an instant impact with 14 wickets in 10 matches at an economy of 6.85, guiding his team to their second consecutive title.

Tye has been with Perth Scorchers ever since, bagging 10 or more wickets in every season barring 2019/20, when he was ruled out due to an elbow injury.

Known as a specialist death bowler, Tye has powered his side to a total of three BBL titles in addition to one runners-up finish, becoming the first Perth Scorchers bowler to register 100 scalps in the process.

Kane Richardson - 129 wickets in 102 matches

Being a part of Adelaide Strikers for the first six seasons, Richardson guided his side to two semi-finals, in 2014/15 and 2015/16, taking a total of 37 wickets in 36 matches.

Since the 2017/18 campaign, Richardson has been Melbourne Renegades’ lead pacer, helping them to their only trophy so far, in 2018/19. 

Known for bowling yorkers at will, he ended as the top wicket-taker in the league that season with 24 wickets from 14 matches at an economy of 7.75, the then record for most wickets in a single BBL season.

Photo credit: Alamy