Bowlers are as important in cricket as are batters and fielders. Though each cricketer is a fielder but not all are bowlers and batters both at the same time. It is true that some batters are good bowlers too and vice versa.
Thus, bowlers are the ones who can turn the game upside down with their good bowling skills. The way batters are important to chase runs or give a good target in the same way good bowlers are important for any team when it comes to get wickets of the opposite team in crucial times and let the other team get less runs.
Bowlers are of two types and spin bowling is a type of bowling which is a counterattack against fast bowling. It has produced the most iconic and excellent spinners in the game’s history.
Thus, here are the top 10 best spin bowlers in the world in the year 2024-2025. These have been identified on the basis of their skills, styles, and their records till date. Though there are numerous spin bowlers in the cricket world, we have curated a list of top 10 best spin bowlers who are currently playing for one or the other team. Here we go.
| Spin Bowlers | Matches Played | Wickets Taken | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 287 | 765 | India |
| Rashid Khan | 207 | 383 | Afghanistan |
| Nathan Lyon | 162 | 562 | Australia |
| Adam Zampa | 201 | 297 | Australia |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 138 | 222 | Sri Lanka |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 152 | 217 | India |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 166 | 297 | India |
| Shakib Al Hasan | 447 | 712 | Bangladesh |
| Adil Rashid | 281 | 391 | England |
| Maheesh Theekshana | 107 | 126 | Sri Lanka |
1. Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
Ravichandran Ashwin is an Indian cricketer who has been playing international matches since 2010. He is known for his exceptional bowling skills and his ability to manipulate spin and pace of the ball while bowling. He is very versatile when it comes to his bowling skills as he can bowl conventional off-spin and carom ball which makes him one of the most suitable bowlers in all formats of cricket.
| Format | Span | Matches | Innings | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 2011-2024 | 106 | 200 | 4541.0 | 12891 | 537 | 24.00 | 2.83 | 50.7 |
| ODIs | 2010-2023 | 116 | 114 | 1050.3 | 5180 | 156 | 33.20 | 4.93 | 40.4 |
| T20Is | 2010-2022 | 65 | 65 | 242.0 | 1672 | 72 | 23.22 | 6.90 | 20.1 |
He has played a total of 287 international matches in his career till date and has taken 765 wickets. He has a unique way of bowling which can even sometimes confuse the batter as he bowls at different angles. Thus, because of these reasons he is amongst the top 10 best spin bowlers in the world currently.
Read Also:- Ravichandran Ashwin Retires from International Cricket
2. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
Rashid Khan plays for the Afghanistan’s cricket team and has been playing international cricket since 2015. He is known for his leg-spin bowling skills. His bowling is unique because of his sharp turns and remarkable speed.
His skills are more effective for the T0 formats of the match as his quick arm action helps him deliver the ball at a fast pace with spin. His variations in bowling include googly and top-spinning confuses the batsman which many times results in crucial wickets.
| Span | Matches | Innings | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 2018-2021 | 5 | 9 | 255.4 | 760 | 34 | 22.35 | 2.97 | 45.1 |
| ODIs | 2015-2024 | 108 | 103 | 928.5 | 3897 | 195 | 19.98 | 4.19 | 28.5 |
| T20Is | 2015-2024 | 94 | 94 | 357.2 | 2175 | 154 | 14.12 | 6.08 | 13.9 |
Though the player is comparatively new with lesser years of cricketing career but then also he has played a total of 207 matches and has been beneficial for the teams as he has taken 383 wickets in his career till now.
Read Also:- Most sixes in Test Cricket
3. Nathan Lyon (Australia)
Nathan Lyon is one of Australia’s premier off-spinners and has been playing international matches for the team since 2011. He is mainly known for his consistent and accurate bowling skills on the field. His deliveries on the field are normally off-break which can result in crucial wickets of the other team.
His bowling skills are such that can maintain consistent pressure for longer times on the batsman resulting in wickets.
| Span | Matches | Innings | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 2011-2024 | 131 | 245 | 5505.1 | 16177 | 532 | 30.40 | 2.93 | 62.0 |
| ODIs | 2012-2019 | 29 | 29 | 271.0 | 1334 | 29 | 46.00 | 4.92 | 56.0 |
| T20Is | 2016-2018 | 2 | 2 | 5.0 | 48 | 1 | 48.00 | 9.60 | 30.0 |
In his career he has played many test matches and fewer other formats. And this has made him a good test player. He has taken a total of 562 wickets in 162 matches he has played for the Australian team.
4. Adam Zampa (Australia)
Adam Zampa is another best spin bowler from the Australian team known for his unique variations and tight lines on the field while bowling. His ability to bowl at varied speeds while holding control is what makes him a hard bowler to deal with in limited overs formats.
Adam Zampa uses the leg spin with variations in pace and trajectory which can really shake the rhythm of a batsman. His international career has marked his ability to take wickets at important moments in the game.
| Span | Matches | Innings | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODIs | 2016-2024 | 106 | 106 | 920.5 | 5091 | 180 | 28.28 | 5.52 | 30.6 |
| T20Is | 2016-2024 | 95 | 94 | 342.5 | 2458 | 117 | 21.00 | 7.16 | 17.5 |
He has played a total of 201 matches and in these matches he has taken 297 wickets till date. Though he is quite young, one can expect to see him evolve more on the field and become one of the fiercest spin bowlers in the coming years.
See Also:- Fastest Ball in Cricket
5. Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)
Wanindu Hasaranga is a Sri Lankan cricketer known for his leg-spinner bowling style. He is an all-rounder with good batting and fielding stats. He is mainly known for his wicket-taking ability in limiter over format as his bowling overs are a mix of traditional leg-spin with variations of googly and sliders.
His bowling is more effective in T20 matches and has proved himself to be a top-class spin bowler for the team since the time he started playing international matches. Along with his bowling skills he is a great fielder too and has proved himself to be an asset for the Sri Lankan cricket team.
| Span | Matches | Innings | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 2020-2021 | 4 | 7 | 112.2 | 403 | 4 | 100.75 | 3.58 | 168.5 |
| ODIs | 2017-2024 | 58 | 57 | 455.3 | 2334 | 93 | 25.09 | 5.12 | 29.3 |
| T20Is | 2019-2024 | 76 | 74 | 277.0 | 1920 | 125 | 15.36 | 6.93 | 13.2 |
Wanindu Hasaranga has played a total of 138 international matches in his career till date and has taken 222 wickets out of which 125 were from his 76 T20 format matches he has played for the team.
6. Yuzvendra Chahal (India)
Yuzvendra Chahal is an Indian cricketer who started playing international cricket for the Indian team in 2016. He is one of the main spinners for the team and has established himself to be one of the best bowlers in the limited overs format of the game.
He is famous for his deceptive flights and clever variations as a bowler. Chahal’s bowling style mainly consists of sharp turning of the ball which makes him a tough bowler to score against. He is seen making use of googly while bowling; catching the batsmen off guard and resulting in crucial breakthroughs during the match.
| Span | Matches | Innings | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODIs | 2016-2023 | 72 | 69 | 623.1 | 3283 | 121 | 27.13 | 5.26 | 30.9 |
| T20Is | 2016-2023 | 80 | 79 | 294.0 | 2409 | 96 | 25.09 | 8.19 | 18.3 |
Chahal has played a total of 152 international matches for the Indian team in which he has proved himself to be an asset for the team by getting 217 wickets till date.
7. Kuldeep Yadav (India)
Kuldeep Yadav is another Indian cricketer who is known for his spin bowling skills. He is a left-arm wrist spin bowler which is an add-on for the Indian team when it comes to their bowling attack on the field.
He uses chinaman delivery, which can turn the ball sharply away from right-handed batsmen, thus making the whole game a very demanding thing for the batsman. He has the ability to bowl at varying pace and flight, which can confuse the batter and lose a wicket. His skills are beneficial for both ODIs and T20s formats.
| Span | Matches | Innings | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 2017-2024 | 13 | 24 | 348.5 | 1241 | 56 | 22.16 | 3.55 | 37.3 |
| ODIs | 2017-2024 | 106 | 103 | 894.5 | 4472 | 172 | 26.00 | 4.99 | 31.2 |
| T20Is | 2017-2024 | 40 | 39 | 143.2 | 971 | 69 | 14.07 | 3.55 | 12.4 |
Till date Kuldeep Yadav has played a total of 159 international matches for the team in which he has taken a total of 297 wickets. His skills to get wickets in crunch overs have only added to his value to the Indian team.
See Also:- Most Wickets in a Test Match
8. Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
Shakib Al Hasan plays for the Bangladesh’s cricket team and is an all-rounder who is a great spinner too. He bowls as a left-arm spinner and is known for his accuracy and ability to bowl effectively on different pitches.
His dedicated years in the game have made him a significant player of the team as he has been playing internationally for the team since 2006. And along with being a good bowler he is an efficient batsman too.
| Span | Matches | Innings | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 2007-2024 | 71 | 121 | 2612.3 | 7804 | 246 | 31.72 | 2.98 | 63.7 |
| ODIs | 2006-2023 | 247 | 241 | 2095.5 | 9360 | 317 | 29.52 | 4.46 | 39.6 |
| T20Is | 2006-2024 | 129 | 126 | 457.3 | 3117 | 149 | 20.91 | 6.81 | 18.4 |
In his years in the team he has played 488 international matches in three different formats and has taken a total of 712 wickets which is a great figure. Thus, from his records he can be called one of the best spinners in the world currently.
9. Adil Rashid (England)
Adil Rashid plays for the England’s cricket team and is considered one of the best spinners for the limited overs format of the game. He is known for his aggressive approach and wicket taking ability.
He is known for mixing ordinary leg spin with variations like googly and flippers which can result in crucial wickets when it is required. He has been an asset for the team in the white-ball cricket as he has got the maximum wickets in this format of the game.
| Span | Matches | Innings | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 2015-2019 | 19 | 34 | 636.0 | 2390 | 60 | 39.83 | 3.75 | 63.6 |
| ODIs | 2009-2024 | 143 | 137 | 1195.5 | 6726 | 205 | 32.79 | 5.62 | 35.0 |
| T20Is | 2009-2024 | 119 | 114 | 416.2 | 3058 | 126 | 24.26 | 7.34 | 19.8 |
He has played a total of 281 international matches on the side of England and in these he has taken 391 wickets which is a commendable figure.
10. Maheesh Theekshana (Sri Lanka)
Maheesh Theekshana is quite a young bowler in the Sri Lankan team. If compared to his years in the team as an international player he performance has been significant. He has a unique bowling style that includes mystery spin deliveries. He can bowl at different speeds and has a quick arm action which makes him a unique bowler.
He is one of the most challenging bowlers who can even be a danger for the most seasoned batsman on the pitch.
| Span | Matches | Innings | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 2022 | 2 | 4 | 60.5 | 188 | 5 | 37.60 | 3.09 | 73.0 |
| ODIs | 2021-2024 | 48 | 47 | 391.2 | 1810 | 65 | 27.84 | 4.62 | 36.1 |
| T20Is | 2021-2024 | 57 | 57 | 213.0 | 1427 | 56 | 25.48 | 6.69 | 22.8 |
He started playing international matches for the Sri Lankan team in 2021 and till date he has played a total of 108 matches for the team in which he has taken 126 wickets proving himself to be one of the best spin bowlers in the world.
Conclusion
Over the years in the game these bowlers have proved themselves by their performances on the field. Some of them have been playing for years and some of them are quite young thus there can be no comparison between them when it comes to their stats. But each of them have a unique talent and have proved themselves to be quite beneficial for their respective teams.
