
It’s the ninth over of a tense run chase at the Daren Sammy Stadium, phone propped against a water bottle, and I’ve stopped watching the free hit to refresh the wicket charts instead. That’s what the 2026 Caribbean Premier League does to a fan who cares about numbers as much as boundaries. Pace and mystery spin are colliding for the same prize this season, and the gap between the top five keeps shrinking every night I check BJ Sports for the latest tally.
The Night the Wicket Charts Became My Second Screen
Every CPL season hooks me with something different, and in 2026 it’s this leaderboard. Bouncy tracks at Warner Park reward pace bowlers who hit the deck hard, while the slower, gripping surfaces in Guyana hand spinners a different kind of advantage. Watching bowlers adjust from one ground to the next has become its own subplot, arguably better than some of the actual run chases.
I used to watch only for boundaries. Now I sit there quietly recalculating economy rates while commentators talk about something else entirely. Five bowlers are separated by four wickets at most, and every over any of them bowls has started to feel like it matters for the whole tournament, not just their own team.
The Top Five Wicket-Takers Right Now
Here’s where the race actually stands, pulled straight from this week’s numbers. BJ Sports keeps this list updated after every match, and it’s the first thing I check before I even look at the scorecard.
| Rank | Bowler | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling (BBI) | Average |
| 1 | Matthew Forde | 9 | 15 | 5/23 | 19.93 |
| 2 | Mohammad Nabi | 6 | 12 | 4/17 | 10.17 |
| 3 | Roston Chase | 9 | 12 | 3/24 | 18.92 |
| 4 | Hunain Shah | 9 | 12 | 2/23 | 20.67 |
| 5 | Sunil Narine | 9 | 11 | 4/12 | 15.73 |
Four wickets separate first from fifth. That’s not a gap, that’s a photo finish still being run.
Matthew Forde Is Bowling Like a Man on a Mission
Forde sits alone at the top with 15 wickets from nine matches, and his 5 for 23 is the best individual return anyone has produced this tournament. Playing for St Lucia Kings, he has made the new-ball spell feel like appointment viewing, consistently unsettling top-order batters inside his first three overs.
His average of 19.93 shows he isn’t just taking wickets in bursts; he’s doing it match after match. Fans wanting to catch his next new-ball spell live can find St Lucia Kings match free live sports streams online on Sports Live Hub, which has become the easiest way to watch him hunt for his sixth four-wicket haul of the season.
The Old Guard Isn’t Ready to Let Go
Mohammad Nabi’s economy of 5.81 is the most disciplined figure in the entire top five, and it came in only six matches for the Guyana Amazon Warriors before international duty called him away. Twelve wickets in six games is a rate the rest of the list can’t match, even with his tournament ending early.
Sunil Narine keeps doing what he’s always done, chipping away at 5.73 an over while everyone else tries to solve him. BJ Sports analysts have pointed out that his strike rate barely moves whether the pitch turns or not, which is exactly why franchises still build entire middle-over plans around denying him the ball. That containment is worth more than any five-wicket haul when the required rate is climbing, and the batting side needs boundaries, not just dot balls.
Hunain Shah And Roston Chase Are Chasing From Different Angles
Hunain Shah has matched Nabi and Chase on wickets with 12, but he’s done it the hard way, bowling fast and full into conditions that haven’t always helped him, which is why his economy sits at 7.91. For a young Pakistani quick still adjusting to Caribbean pitches, that return is more impressive than the raw number suggests.
Roston Chase has taken the slower route to the same wicket count, mixing his pace to break partnerships rather than blow teams away. His 3 for 24 best figures show a bowler who wins the middle overs quietly, which rarely draws the same attention as a five-wicket haul but matters just as much across a full season.
What The Numbers Actually Say About Pace vs Spin
Line them up and the split is almost even. Forde and Shah lead with raw pace, Nabi and Narine lead with control, and Chase sits in between doing a bit of both. The economy rates on BJ Sports range from 5.73 to 9.44, a wider spread than most tournaments produce this deep into a wicket-takers list.
What that spread really shows is there’s no single winning method left in this format. Franchises leaning on express pace at the death and teams trusting spin through the middle overs are producing wickets at nearly identical rates, and neither approach has separated itself as clearly better. Whichever method wins out over the closing rounds will likely decide who lifts the wicket-taking prize when the tournament wraps up.
Highest Wicket Taker in CPL 2026 Until Now: Where the Race Stands
With the playoffs approaching, every wicket from here changes the shape of this list. Forde has the cushion, but a quiet match or two could hand the lead to Nabi if he’s recalled, or let Narine’s economy finally translate into the volume his control deserves.
That’s what makes tracking the Highest Wicket Taker in CPL 2026 Until Now so addictive right now. Nothing about this list is settled, and the next match could rewrite all five names before the season ends.
Stay locked into BJ Sports for the latest wicket charts as Forde, Nabi, Chase, Shah and Narine push toward the CPL 2026 playoffs. Follow us for live CPL 2026 updates all season long.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is the highest wicket taker in CPL 2026 right now?
Matthew Forde currently leads with 15 wickets in nine matches. His best figures of 5 for 23 remain the single best bowling performance of the tournament so far.
What is Mohammad Nabi’s economy rate in CPL 2026?
Mohammad Nabi has the best economy in the top five at 5.81 runs per over. He took 12 wickets in just six matches before leaving for international duty.
How many wickets has Sunil Narine taken in CPL 2026?
Sunil Narine has taken 11 wickets in nine matches at an economy of 5.73. His best figures this season are 4 for 12.
What are Roston Chase’s bowling figures in CPL 2026?
Roston Chase has taken 12 wickets in nine matches with best figures of 3 for 24. His economy rate of 6.49 sits between the tournament’s fastest and most economical bowlers.
Does Matthew Forde play for St Lucia Kings in CPL 2026?
Yes, Matthew Forde plays for St Lucia Kings in CPL 2026. He has taken 15 wickets this season, the most of any bowler in the tournament so far.
Disclaimer: This Today’s Trending (Blog) expresses the author’s personal insights and analysis. We encourage readers to consider the points discussed and draw their own conclusions.
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