Top Bowlers of 2019: The year 2019 was monumental for cricket. From the nail-biting finale of the ICC Cricket World Cup to sensational Test matches under the new World Test Championship format, bowlers had countless opportunities to shine. With batsmen growing increasingly aggressive in all formats, bowlers had to adapt, innovate, and execute with surgical precision.
Top Bowlers of 2019: In this article, we break down the top-performing bowlers of 2019, across formats and rankings, with detailed stats and analysis. These are not just the highest wicket-takers, but bowlers who had game-changing impact, consistency, economy, and match-winning spells.
Selection Criteria
Top Bowlers of 2019: To determine the best bowlers of 2019, we considered:
- Number of wickets
- Average and strike rate
- Economy rate
- Impact in key matches (World Cup, Ashes, etc.)
- Performance across all formats
Top 10 Bowlers of 2019 – Overall Rankings
| Rank | Bowler | Team | Wickets | Format Coverage | Best Figures | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pat Cummins | Australia | 59 (Tests), 14 (ODIs) | All formats | 6/23 (Test) | Seam, consistency |
| 2 | Mohammed Shami | India | 42 (ODIs), 33 (Tests) | ODIs, Tests | 5/69 (ODI) | Reverse swing, pace |
| 3 | Trent Boult | New Zealand | 38 (ODIs), 25 (Tests) | ODIs, Tests | 5/21 (WC19) | New-ball threat |
| 4 | Jasprit Bumrah | India | 34 (ODIs), 14 (Tests) | All formats | 5/7 (Tests) | Death overs, accuracy |
| 5 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 27 (ODIs), 30 (Tests) | All formats | 5/26 (WC19) | Left-arm pace, swing |
| 6 | Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 43 (Tests), 12 (ODIs) | ODIs, Tests | 6/54 (Test) | Raw pace, aggression |
| 7 | Chris Woakes | England | 34 (ODIs), 23 (Tests) | All formats | 5/54 (WC Final) | Swing, control |
| 8 | Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Afghanistan | 34 (ODIs), 8 (T20s) | ODIs, T20s | 5/50 (ODI) | Mystery spin |
| 9 | Nathan Lyon | Australia | 45 (Tests) | Test only | 6/49 (Test) | Off-spin, stamina |
| 10 | Jofra Archer | England | 30 (ODIs), 22 (Tests) | All formats | 6/45 (Test) | Pace, bounce, control |
Format-Wise Breakdown
➤ Top Test Bowlers of 2019
Test cricket saw a return to pace domination in 2019, with spinners like Nathan Lyon and Ashwin holding their ground. Pat Cummins stood tall as the undisputed No. 1, thanks to his match-winning consistency.
| Bowler | Team | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Cummins | Australia | 59 | 20.13 | 47.1 | 6/23 |
| Nathan Lyon | Australia | 45 | 32.43 | 62.5 | 6/49 |
| Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 43 | 25.26 | 49.8 | 6/54 |
| Mohammed Shami | India | 33 | 20.90 | 44.6 | 5/35 |
| Tim Southee | New Zealand | 32 | 25.09 | 51.2 | 5/60 |
Notable Highlight:
Cummins’ 29 wickets in the Ashes 2019 series were instrumental in Australia retaining the urn in England after 18 years.
➤ Top ODI Bowlers of 2019
ODIs saw a fascinating mix of experience and youth. The World Cup 2019 was the defining event, and it heavily influenced these rankings.
| Bowler | Team | ODI Wickets | Economy | Best in WC 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Shami | India | 42 | 5.29 | 5/69 vs England |
| Mitchell Starc | Australia | 27 | 5.44 | 5/26 vs New Zealand |
| Trent Boult | New Zealand | 38 | 4.88 | 4/30 vs India |
| Chris Woakes | England | 34 | 5.25 | 3/37 (Final) |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Afghanistan | 34 | 4.25 | 5/50 vs Ireland |
Notable Highlight:
Mitchell Starc was the leading wicket-taker of the World Cup with 27 wickets, breaking the record for most wickets in a single edition.
➤ Top T20I Bowlers of 2019
| Bowler | Team | Wickets | Economy | Best Figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deepak Chahar | India | 16 | 6.53 | 6/7 vs Bangladesh |
| Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 20 | 6.14 | 4/25 |
| Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | 14 | 7.20 | 5/6 vs New Zealand |
| Navdeep Saini | India | 11 | 7.15 | 3/17 |
| Chris Jordan | England | 13 | 7.40 | 4/6 |
Notable Highlight:
Deepak Chahar’s 6/7 against Bangladesh was the best-ever bowling figure in T20I history at the time.
Impact Beyond Stats
Sometimes numbers alone don’t capture the full story. Let’s look at three bowlers whose impact transcended their stats:
Jofra Archer (England)
- Key Moment: Bowled the Super Over in the World Cup final under immense pressure.
- Impact: Despite being a debutant in 2019, Archer was entrusted with England’s biggest moment — and delivered.
Jasprit Bumrah (India)
- Key Moment: Constantly economical in death overs in both ODIs and T20s.
- Impact: India’s go-to bowler, Bumrah built pressure in tight games with his ability to bowl yorkers at will.
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
- Key Moment: Led a young Afghanistan attack with courage despite limited team success.
- Impact: Maintained top ICC T20I rankings, and became a consistent threat in franchise leagues globally.
Top Bowling Performances of 2019 – Match-Winners
| Bowler | Match | Figures | Format | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deepak Chahar | India vs Bangladesh (Nagpur) | 6/7 | T20I | India won |
| Pat Cummins | Aus vs Sri Lanka (Gabba) | 6/23 | Test | Australia won |
| Mohammed Shami | India vs Afghanistan (WC19) | 4/40 & Hat-trick | ODI | India won narrowly |
| Mitchell Starc | Aus vs NZ (WC19) | 5/26 | ODI | Australia won |
| Malinga | SL vs NZ (Pallekele) | 5/6 | T20I | Sri Lanka won |
The Art of Bowling in 2019
Bowling in 2019 wasn’t just about speed or spin — it was about adaptation. Batsmen are more aggressive, rules favor them more, and the pressure is higher. Yet, bowlers rose to the challenge.
Whether it was Starc’s fire in the World Cup, Cummins’ relentless accuracy in Tests, or Chahar’s magical spell in T20Is, bowlers turned matches on their heads and gave cricket fans moments to remember.
