Well, picking up game-changing wickets in international cricket is nothing short of a dream for the majority of bowlers out there. The glorious history of international cricket, which spans over decades, has witnessed numerous lethal bowlers who have been a walking nightmare for even the finest batting lineups in the world. From Jofra Archer to Jasprit Bumrah, the star-studded historical past of international cricket has witnessed numerous legendary bowlers taking command of their team and leading them to a phenomenal streak of victories.
While taking wickets is often hailed as one of the most decorated achievements for bowlers in the ever-competitive arena of international wickets, claiming roaring hat-tricks adds an aspect of spine-chilling drama on the field and undoubtedly fuels the blood-curdling rivalries between the teams and their supporters as well. Have you ever wondered about the lethal bowlers who hold the record for claiming the highest number of hat-tricks in international cricket? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four bowlers with the most hat-tricks in international cricket.
Top 4 Bowlers With Most Hat-Tricks in International Cricket
-
Lasith Malinga – 5 Hat-Tricks
The legendary Sri Lankan former international cricketer Lasith Malinga, often also hailed as one of the most deadly bowlers in the history of international cricket, is at the first spot on our list of the top four bowlers with most hat-tricks in international cricket.
Widely regarded as “Slinga Malinga”, the legendary Sri Lankan right-arm fast bowler, Lasith Malinga represented Sri Lanka across all formats of international cricket from 2004 to 2020 and played a record total of 340 international matches, picking up an overall total of 546 wickets including 101 wickets in the test format, 338 wickets in the ODIs and the remaining 107 wickets in the T20I format.
Throughout his glorious international cricketing career, Lasith Malinga claimed a total of five hat-tricks, including three ODI hat-tricks against South Africa (2007 World Cup), Kenya (211 World Cup), Australia (2011 World Cup) and two T20I hat-tricks against Bangladesh (2017 World Cup) and against New Zealand (2019 World Cup).
-
Wasim Akram – 4 Hat-Tricks
At the second spot on our list of the top four bowlers with the most hat-tricks in international cricket, we have the legendary Pakistani former international cricketer and current commentator and coach Wasim Akram. Often popularly referred to as the “Sultan of Swing” by millions of his fans from all around the world, Wasim Akram is still hailed as one of the finest bowlers to ever represent Pakistan in international cricket.
Wasim Akram represented Pakistan across all formats of international cricket from 1984 to 2003 and played a total of 460 international matches, picking up a record total of 916 wickets. At the time of his retirement in 2003, Wasim Akram was the only bowler to have crossed the prestigious benchmark of 400 wickets in both Tests and ODIs, speaking volumes about his lethal bowling attack.
Throughout his star-studded international cricketing career, the former Pakistani bowling sensation, Wasim Akram, claimed a total of four hat-tricks in international cricket including two test hat-tricks against Sri Lanka in March 1999 and two ODI hat-tricks against West Indies (1989) and Australia (1990).
-
Stuart Broad – 2 Hat-Tricks
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four bowlers with the most hat-tricks in international cricket, we have the iconic English former professional international cricketer Stuart Broad, who played Test cricket for the England cricket team and was One Day and Twenty20 International captain. Widely regarded as one of the greatest test bowlers of all-time, Stuart Broad represented England across all formats of international cricket from 2006 to 2023 and ended up playing a record total of 344 international matches, claiming a phenomenal total of 847 wickets.
At the time of his retirement in July 2023, shortly after the iconic Ashes series, Stuart Broad was the second-highest Test wicket-taker for England behind James Anderson, speaking volumes about his annihilating bowling spells. Throughout his glorious international cricketing career, Stuart Broad claimed a total of two test hat-tricks, including one against India on 29 July 2011 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, dismissing India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar, and the second test hat-trick against Sri Lanka on 21 June 2014 dismantling Sri Lanka’s top batting lineup which included prominent names; Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal and Shaminda Eranga.
Read More
-
Kuldeep Yadav – 2 Hat-Tricks
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four bowlers with the most hat-tricks in international cricket, we have the trailblazing Indian international cricketer Kuldeep Yadav, who proved to be an integral member of the Indian team that clinched the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Throughout his star-studded international cricketing career so far, the Indian bowling sensation has played a total of 166 international matches and has picked up a record total of 306 wickets already. Kuldeep Yadav has claimed a total of two hat-tricks in the One-Day International (ODI) format as of September 2025, including his maiden hat-trick against Australia in September 2017, at Eden Gardens, Kolkata wherein he brutally dismissed Matthew Wade, Ashton Agar and Pat Cummins and his second hat-trick against West Indies on 18 December 2019 in Vizag wherein he dismissed Sahi Hope, Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph.
