Which bowler took the most wickets in World Cup history?

Glenn McGrath took the most wickets in Cricket World Cup history, finishing with 71 for Australia. He collected those wickets across five tournaments from 1996 through 2007.

McGrath was central to Australia’s dominance during that era. He helped Australia win three successive World Cups—in 1999, 2003 and 2007—and retired from international cricket after the 2007 tournament. His accuracy, movement and control made him unusually difficult to score against in long spells.

The main mix-up is between career World Cup wickets and wickets in one tournament. McGrath’s 26 wickets in the 2007 edition were later surpassed by Mitchell Starc, who took 27 in 2019. Muttiah Muralitharan ranks just behind McGrath for career World Cup wickets, while Wasim Akram’s 55 wickets remain a notable total but not the record.