One Day International (ODI) cricket is a popular form of limited-overs cricket in which each team faces a fixed number of overs, usually 50. Many legendary cricketers have made their mark in the history of ODI cricket by taking a large number of wickets. The record for the most wickets taken in ODI cricket is held by Muttiah Muralitharan, a Sri Lankan cricketer who took a total of 534 wickets in his ODI career. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the sport, known for his accuracy, control, and ability to take wickets with a variety of different deliveries.
Most Wickets in ODI Cricket
Muttiah Muralitharan (1993 – 2011) 534 Wickets in ODI
Muttiah Muralitharan is widely considered one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket. During his illustrious career, he took a total of 534 wickets in One Day International (ODI) cricket, the most by any player in the history of the sport. Muralitharan was known for his exceptional accuracy, control, and ability to take wickets with a variety of different deliveries. He was particularly effective with his off-spin and doosra, which he used to great effect to deceive batsmen.
Muralitharan made his ODI debut for Sri Lanka in 1993 and played until his retirement in 2011, during that period he took over 5 wickets in a match 10 times, and took 4 wickets in an inning 15 times. His ability to take wickets consistently and his longevity at the top level of the sport make him a true legend of ODI cricket.
Wasim Akram (1984 – 2003) 502 Wickets in ODI
Wasim Akram is considered one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket and is also the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers in One Day International (ODI) cricket. During his illustrious career, he took a total of 502 wickets in ODI cricket, which is the most by any fast bowler in the history of the sport. Akram was known for his exceptional swing and seam movement, as well as his ability to take wickets with both new and old balls.
He was also a capable lower-order batsman with over 3500 runs and 6 half centuries to his credit. He made his ODI debut for Pakistan in 1984 and played until 2003, during that period he took over 5 wickets in a match 6 times, and took 4 wickets in an inning 17 times. His ability to take wickets consistently and his longevity at the top level of the sport make him a true legend of ODI cricket and also one of the most successful left-arm fast bowlers in cricket history.
Read More: Top 5 Fastest Bowlers to Take 150 ODI Wickets All Time
Waqar Younis (1989 – 2003) 416 Wickets in ODI
Waqar Younis is considered one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket and is also one of the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers in One Day International (ODI) cricket. During his illustrious career, he took a total of 416 wickets in ODI cricket, which is the 3rd most by any fast bowler in the history of the sport. He was known for his exceptional yorkers and bouncers, as well as his ability to generate reverse swings.
He made his ODI debut for Pakistan in 1989 and played until 2003, during that period he took over 5 wickets in a match 13 times, and took 4 wickets in innings 14 times. Waqar was also known for his ability to consistently bowl in the high-140s and low-150s km/h (90s mph). Younis also served as Pakistan cricket team captain and holds the record of being the youngest-ever test cricket captain. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest exponents of reverse swing and one of the most successful fast bowlers in cricket history.
WPUJC Vaas (1994 – 2008) 400 Wickets in ODI
Chaminda Vaas is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who is known for his exceptional bowling performances in One Day Internationals (ODI). He took a total of 400 wickets in his ODI career, which is the 4th most by any player in the history of the sport. Vass was known for his ability to swing the ball both ways and for his accuracy, particularly with his left-arm seam-up deliveries.
He was also a capable lower-order batsman with over 2000 runs and 1 half-century to his credit. He made his ODI debut for Sri Lanka in 1994 and played until 2008, during that period he took over 5 wickets in a match 4 times, and took 4 wickets in an inning 9 times. Vaas holds the record of taking the first-ever ODI hat-trick and is also the only Sri Lankan to take over 300 wickets in ODIs. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful left-arm fast-medium bowlers in cricket history.
Shahid Afridi (1996 – 2015) 398 Wickets in ODI
Shahid Afridi is a former Pakistani cricketer who was known for his aggressive and flamboyant playing style in One Day Internationals (ODI). He took a total of 398 wickets in his ODI career, which is the 5th most by any player who has bowled spin in the history of the sport. Afridi was very well known for his exceptional leg spin and googlies, as well as his ability to generate a lot of turns from the pitch.
He made his ODI debut for Pakistan in 1996 and played until 2015, during that period he took over 5 wickets in a match 9 times, and took 4 wickets in innings 4 times. The leg spinner was also known for his aggressive and powerful batting, Afridi is the only player in the history of the game who has scored more than 8000 runs and taken more than 350 wickets in ODI cricket. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful leg-spin bowlers in cricket history.
SM Pollock (1996 – 2008) 393 Wickets in ODI
Shaun Pollock is a former South African cricketer who is known for his exceptional bowling performances in One Day Internationals (ODI). He took a total of 393 wickets in his ODI career, which is the 6th most by any player in the history of the sport. Pollock was known for his ability to swing the ball both ways and for his accuracy, particularly with his right-arm medium-fast deliveries.
He made his ODI debut for South Africa in 1996 and played until 2008, during that period he took over 5 wickets in a match 5 times, and took 4 wickets in innings 12 times. The former African captain also served as the South Africa cricket team captain. Pollock was known for his ability to take wickets consistently and his longevity at the top level of the sport makes him a true legend of ODI cricket and one of the most successful medium-pace bowlers in cricket history.
GD McGrath (1993 – 2007) 381 Wickets in ODI
Glenn McGrath is a former Australian cricketer who is known for his exceptional bowling performances in One Day Internationals (ODI). He took a total of 381 wickets in his ODI career, which is the 7th most by any player in the history of the sport. McGrath was known for his accuracy, consistency, and ability to take wickets with both new and old balls.
He made his ODI debut for Australia in 1993 and played until 2007, during that period he took over 5 wickets in a match 7 times, and took 4 wickets in innings 9 times. McGrath was known for his ability to maintain his accuracy and consistency over a long period of time which made him one of the most successful fast bowlers in ODI cricket history. His ability to take wickets consistently and his longevity at the top level of the sport make him a true legend of ODI cricket.
B Lee (2000 – 2012) 380 Wickets in ODI
Brett Lee is a former Australian cricketer who is very familiar with his exceptional fast bowling performances in One Day Internationals (ODI). He took a total of 380 wickets in his ODI career, which is the 8th most by any fast bowler in the history of the sport. Lee was known for his express pace and ability to generate late swings with the new ball and was also a useful lower-order batsman.
He made his ODI debut for Australia in 2000 and played until 2012, during that period he took over 5 wickets in a match 9 times, and took 4 wickets in innings 14 times. Lee was also known for his ability to consistently bowl at a high speed, regularly clocking above 145 km/h (90 mph). His ability to take wickets consistently and his longevity at the top level of the sport make him a true legend of ODI cricket and one of the most successful fast bowlers in cricket history.
SL Malinga (2004 – 2019) 338 Wickets in ODI
Lasith Malinga is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who is known for his exceptional fast bowling performances in One Day Internationals (ODI). He took a total of 338 wickets in his ODI career, which is the 9th most by any player in the history of the sport. The former Lanka captain was very famous for his ability to bowl yorkers and slower balls effectively and his unorthodox round-arm action.
He made his ODI debut for Sri Lanka in 2004 and played until 2019, during that period he took over 5 wickets in a match 8 times, and took 4 wickets in innings 11 times. The Lanka bowler also served as the Sri Lanka cricket team captain. Malinga is the only player who has taken four wickets in four consecutive balls in ODIs, which he achieved during the 2007 Cricket World Cup. His ability to take wickets consistently and his longevity at the top level of the sport make him a true legend of ODI cricket and one of the most successful fast bowlers in cricket history.
Read More: Best Bowling Figures in ODI Match All Time
A Kumble (1990 – 2007) 337 Wickets in ODI
Anil Kumble is a former Indian cricketer who is familiar with his exceptional bowling performances in One Day Internationals (ODI). He took a total of 337 wickets in his One Day International career, which is the 10th most by any player in the history of the sport. Kumble was very famous for his ability to bowl leg-spin and googlies effectively and his accuracy.
He made his ODI debut for India in 1990 and played until 2007, during that period he took over 5 wickets in a match 2 times, and took 4 wickets in innings 8 times. The Indian spinner also served as the India cricket team captain. Kumble was known for his ability to take wickets consistently and his longevity at the top level of the sport makes him a true legend of ODI cricket and one of the most successful leg-spin bowlers in cricket history. He is also the only Indian bowler to have taken all 10 wickets in a Test match innings.
List of Top 10 Bowlers with Most Wickets in ODI Cricket
| Player | Span | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ | SR | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M Muralidaran SL) | 1993-2011 | 350 | 341 | 18811 | 12326 | 534 | 7/30 | 23.08 | 3.93 | 35.2 | 15 | 10 |
| Wasim Akram (PAK) | 1984-2003 | 356 | 351 | 18186 | 11812 | 502 | 5/15 | 23.52 | 3.89 | 36.2 | 17 | 6 |
| Waqar Younis (PAK) | 1989-2003 | 262 | 258 | 12698 | 9919 | 416 | 7/36 | 23.84 | 4.68 | 30.5 | 14 | 13 |
| WPUJC Vaas (SL) | 1994-2008 | 322 | 320 | 15775 | 11014 | 400 | 8/19 | 27.53 | 4.18 | 39.4 | 9 | 4 |
| Shahid Afridi (PAK) | 1996-2015 | 398 | 372 | 17670 | 13632 | 395 | 7/12 | 34.51 | 4.62 | 44.7 | 4 | 9 |
| SM Pollock (SA) | 1996-2008 | 303 | 297 | 15712 | 9631 | 393 | 6/35 | 24.50 | 3.67 | 39.9 | 12 | 5 |
| GD McGrath (AUS) | 1993-2007 | 250 | 248 | 12970 | 8391 | 381 | 7/15 | 22.02 | 3.88 | 34.0 | 9 | 7 |
| B Lee (AUS) | 2000-2012 | 221 | 217 | 11185 | 8877 | 380 | 5/22 | 23.36 | 4.76 | 29.4 | 14 | 9 |
| SL Malinga (SL) | 2004-2019 | 226 | 220 | 10936 | 9760 | 338 | 6/38 | 28.87 | 5.35 | 32.3 | 11 | 8 |
| A Kumble (IND) | 1990-2007 | 271 | 265 | 14496 | 10412 | 337 | 6/12 | 30.89 | 4.30 | 43.0 | 8 | 2 |
Read More: Most Runs Conceded by A Bowler in ODI International Career
FAQS
Who has the most wickets in ODI?
Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka is the all-time leading wicket-taker in One Day Internationals as of January 2023. From 1993 to 2011, the right-arm spin bowler took 534 wickets in ODIs.
Who took 500 wickets in ODI cricket?
Wasim Akram named the best ODI bowler by Wisden in 2003, is one of two bowlers with over 500 ODI wickets.
Who took 1000 wickets?
“Shane Warne was a colorful figure who reinvented the phrase bowling. He has more than 1000 international wickets to his name. This is a remarkable accomplishment.
Who took 5 wickets in 5 balls?
Garry Sobers annihilated the hosts with 5 wickets in 5 balls on March 28, 1964, in Kuala Lumpur, of all places. Abhishek Mukherjee investigates an often-overlooked amazing feat.
Who is worlds fastest bowler?
Shoaib Akhtar | Pakistan vs. England, 2003. Shoaib Akhtar, nicknamed the Rawalpindi Express, bowled the fastest delivery in cricket – 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph) – against England during the 2003 Cricket World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa.