The fiery pacer, Mohammed Siraj, has once again proved his elevation in world cricket by surpassing Australia’s Mitchell Starc to become the highest wicket-taker in the World Test Championship (WTC) this year. The moment of history was created during the first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad, when Siraj took three wickets in the morning session and moved ahead of Starc by one wicket.
When this was written in 2025, Siraj had taken 31 wickets in seven matches at an average of 29.60 and a strike rate of 44.3, surpassing Starc’s 29 wickets. His blistering pace in the current scenario have placed him among the cautious match-winners in India under all conditions, adding fire to what already has been an intimidating fast bowling department with depth and skills.
Mohammed Siraj 2025 in whites, a year of bliss
The 31-year-old pacer has fashioned his year around stellar performances in high-profile games. One of his absolutely best bowling displays came at The Oval in England, where after bowling at relentless intensity throughout the final day to bag India an important victory going level in the series.
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The spell brought into focus not just his temperament but also placed him for pressure bowling situations. Over the year, Siraj has been outstanding with the ball in England, where he claimed 23 wickets, followed by 4 wickets in Australia in January and now 4 in Ahmedabad against the West Indies.
most wickets in This WTC cycle
| Player | Wickets |
|---|---|
| Mohammed Siraj | 31* |
| Mitchell Starc | 29 |
| Nathan Lyon | 24 |
| Shamarh Joseph | 22 |
| Josh Tongue | 21 |
.
Others named alongside Siraj and Starc on the list are Lyon with 24 wickets, Shamar Joseph with 22 wickets for the West Indies, and Josh Tongue with 21 wickets for England. Going by the new WTC cycle commencing June 2025, Siraj is also leading his field, with 27 wickets and counting.
With a busy Test calendar ahead, the tally for Siraj is only expected to rise, setting him up to vie for the position of the leading wicket-taker in WTC for this year and then in the 2025-27 cycle ahead.
Interestingly, Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani tops the overall Test wickets chart this year with 36 scalps, just ahead of Siraj’s 30. In terms of rhythm, hunger, and knack for breakthroughs, there is a good case to be made for Mohammed Siraj to chase down Muzarabani, and there are no signs of him slowing down.
