In cricket, it is considered a major milestone for any player to take 300 or more wickets in his ODI career. The first fast bowler to achieve this feat was Pakistan’s Wasim Akram in 1996. Apart from Akram, many other players have left their mark in One Day International matches. Akram also became the first bowler to cross the 400 and 500 wickets mark in ODIs. Interestingly, Sri Lanka has 4 players with 300+ wickets, while Pakistan has 3 players.
Many bowlers have dominated ODI cricket by taking the most wickets. This record list includes cricketers from Australia, Pakistan, India, South Africa, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and the West Indies.
Sri Lanka’s great spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is at the top with 534 wickets and 10 five-wicket hauls. Australia’s Glenn McGrath has a bowling average of 22.02 who has taken 300+ wickets. If you look at the matches played, Brett Lee stands out as he needed only 171 matches to reach this feat. South Africa’s Shaun Pollock proved to be the most economical, conceding just 3.67 runs per over, while Lee maintained a brilliant strike rate of 29.4 balls per wicket.
In 2001, Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas took 8 wickets for just 19 runs against Zimbabwe. Among the players who have taken 300+ wickets, Sanath Jayasuriya is unique as he has also scored 10,000 runs in ODI cricket.
List of bowlers who have taken the most wickets in ODIs
Here is a detailed list of some of the top bowlers who have taken the most wickets in ODIs:
Saqlain Mushtaq – One of the best spinners from Pakistan, Saqlain Mushtaq is also on this list. He made his ODI debut in 1995 and played 169 matches, taking 288 wickets. Saqlain retired in 2004 and since 2016, he has been working as a coach for England.
Shane Warne – The great Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne is also here. He played 194 ODIs, took 293 wickets and scored over 1000 runs. He took five wickets once in ODIs and took over 2300 wickets in all formats. Warne later became a famous commentator.
Daniel Vettori – The New Zealand left-arm spinner played 295 ODIs, took 305 wickets and scored over 2200 runs. He also has two five-wicket hauls and is one of the few bowlers to take over 300 wickets in both ODIs and Tests. Today, he coaches the Bangladesh team.
Javagal Srinath – The Indian fast bowler played 229 ODIs and took 315 wickets, including five wickets. He retired in 2003 and is now an ICC match referee.
Sanath Jayasuriya – The former Sri Lanka captain was a true all-rounder. He scored over 10,000 runs in ODI cricket and took 323 wickets. Jayasuriya is also the second most “Man of the Match” award winner in ODI history.
Anil Kumble – Kumble holds the record for the most ODI wickets by an Indian bowler, with 337 wickets and 2 five-wickets. His best figures are 6 wickets for 12 runs. He also took 10 wickets in a single Test innings. Kumble has received several awards such as the Padma Shri and the Arjuna Award and still holds this record after retirement.
Lasith Malinga – Known for his unique sling action, Sri Lankan Malinga was one of the most lethal bowlers in world cricket. He played 226 ODIs, taking 338 wickets with 8 five-wickets. Malinga is the only bowler to take 4 wickets in 4 balls and also took 3 ODI hat-tricks. After retirement, he joined Mumbai Indians in the IPL as the bowling coach.
Australian speedster Brett Lee – Played 221 ODIs and scored 1176 runs and took 380 wickets. He took five wickets nine times in his career. Lee has since turned to coaching, having also worked with teams such as Sri Lanka and Ireland.
Australian great Glenn McGrath – McGrath played 250 ODIs, taking 381 wickets with 7 five-wicket hauls. His best bowling figures were 7 wickets for 15 runs. He is remembered as one of the most accurate pace bowlers in cricket history.
Related Article:
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- Most Wickets in T20I Cricket: Tim Southee – The Highest Wicket-Taker
Shaun Pollock – South African all-rounder who took 393 wickets in ODIs. He also scored over 3500 runs with 14 half-centuries and a century. Pollock now works as a commentator in international matches.
Shahid Afridi – Pakistani all-rounder who is known for his aggressive batting and effective leg-spin. In 398 ODIs, he took 395 wickets and scored 8000+ runs. Afridi also took 5 wickets 9 times, with a best record of 7 for 12 runs.
Chaminda Vaas – Vaas played 322 ODIs and took 400 wickets with 5 five-wickets. His best figure is 8 for 19 runs. Currently, he works as the bowling coach of Sri Lanka.
Waqar Younis – Known for his reverse swing, Waqar played 262 ODIs and took 416 wickets, including 13 five-wickets. His best figure was 7 for 36 runs.
Wasim Akram – One of the greatest cricketers, Akram became the first bowler to take 500+ ODI wickets. Across all formats, he took nearly 2000 wickets, including 101 five-wickets and 26 ten-wickets.
Muttiah Muralitharan – Topping the list of ODI wicket-takers, Muralitharan finished with 534 wickets and 10 five-wicket hauls. Across all formats, he has taken over 2700 wickets. He has received many awards for his amazing achievements and has been the top wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs.
Some interesting facts about ODI cricketers
- Sachin Tendulkar dismissed Inzamam-ul-Haq many times, which made him his frequent victim.
- Australian spinner Steve O’Keefe, who has since retired, was actually born in Malaysia.
- Sachin Tendulkar is called the “God of Cricket”.
- Kim Hughes was the most over-the-top opponent of Bob Willis and Ian Botham in his career.
