Top 10 Highest Wickets Takers ODI’s Cricket | Most ODI Wickets


Everyone loves the batsmen. They hit the sixers and boundaries; they make the crowd go crazy. But, whom do the batsmen fear? The bowlers, of course, have the power to send them to the green room. When they send a batsman out of the game and take a wicket, it’s a step closer to victory for his team. Let’s take a look at the countdown of the highest wickets takers ODI’s cricket.

Highest Wickets Takers ODI’s

Here is the list of the top 10 highest wickets takers in ODI. M Muralitharan, ahead of all, took 534 wickets in his incredible ODI career, more than any bowler in the history of this format. Shahid Afridi also secures his position at No: 8 with 348 wickets. (two “W”s) Waseem and Waqar are together on the list also, like they were in team Pakistan.


10. Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Jayasuriya
ODI Matches Played: 445
Total ODI Wickets: 323
Best Bowling: 6/29

In the 10th place on the list of highest wickets takers in ODI’s cricket is Sanath Jayasuriya, the former Sri Lankan player who is considered as one of the best all-rounders in cricket. During his career as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler from 1989 to 2011, he has acquired 323 wickets, having played in 368 innings in 445 matches.

He has delivered 14874 balls, and given 11871 runs, and thus has a Bowling Average of 36.75 and an Economy Rate of 4.78. He was also among the best batsmen in cricket’s history.

9. Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble
ODI Matches Played: 271
Total ODI Wickets: 337
Best Bowling: 6/12

The next place on the list belongs to Anil Kumble, the former Indian Right-arm leg-break bowler, known for his mature and steady performances for the team, during his career from 1990 to 2007. He has played in 265 innings in 271 One Day International matches, he took a record of 337 wickets by delivering 10412 runs in 14496 balls.

He has a Bowling Average is 30.89, while his Economy Rate is 4.30. One of the best bowlers the team has had, Kumble is among 4 Indian players to be included in the ICC Hall of Fame.

8. Brett Lee
Brett Lee
ODI Matches Played: 221
Total ODI Wickets: 380
Best Bowling: 5/22

Former Australian heartthrob Brett Lee is in 8th place on the list of cricketers with the highest number of wickets in ODI. This right-arm fast bowler appeared in 217 of 221 games during his ODI career from 2000 to 2012 and took a massive 380 wickets.

He delivered 11185 balls during this time, and gave 8877 runs in the process, thus acquiring a bowling average of 23.36, and an Economy Rate of 4.76. Lee was among the fastest bowlers, with his highest speed at 161.1 kph, behind Shoaib Akhtar’s 161.4 kph.

7. Glenn McGrath
Glenn McGrath
ODI Matches Played: 250
Total ODI Wickets: 381
Best Bowling: 7/15

Former right-arm fast-medium bowler, Glenn McGrath, is the second Australian player to secure a place on the list of highest wickets takers ODI’s cricket, with an impressive 381 wickets secured in 248 innings in 250 ODI games during his One Day International career between 1993 and 2007. During this time, he delivered 12970 balls and gave 8391 runs.

He thus had a bowling average of 22.02 and an Economy Rate of 3.88. He is one of the biggest contributors to Australia’s dominance in the cricketing world in the 90s.

6. Shaun Pollock
Shaun Pollock
ODI Matches Played: 303
Total ODI Wickets: 393
Best Bowling: 6/35

One of the best all-rounders Shaun Pollock, the former South African cricketer, who represented his team in world cricket as a right-arm fast-medium bowler, is in the 6th place on the list of the highest wickets takers ODI’s. He took an incredible 393 wickets while appearing in 297 innings in 303 matches, during his ODI career from 1996 to 2008.

He gave 9631 runs in 15712 balls and had a Bowling Average of 24.50, and an Economy rate of 3.67. Pollock was a genuine all-rounder, and one of the most intimidating bowlers.

5. Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi
ODI Matches Played: 398
Total ODI Wickets: 395
Best Bowling: 7/12

In 5th place on this countdown is Shahid Afridi, the former cricketing star of Pakistan, who was one of the most dangerous hard-hitters in cricket history. As a right-arm leg spinner, Afridi played for his team from 1996 to 2015 and played in 372 innings in 398 games, during which he took a record 395 wickets.

He delivered 13632 runs in 17670 balls during this time and acquired a Bowling Average of 34.51 and an Economy Rate of 4.62. Afridi himself thinks that he was a better bowler than a batsman, Even though the world seems to believe otherwise.

4. Chaminda Vaas
Chaminda Vaas
ODI Matches Played: 322
Total ODI Wickets: 400
Best Bowling: 8/19

Former cricketing superhero, Chaminda, is yet another player from Sri Lanka on the list of highest wickets takers in ODI’s cricket. This left-arm fast-medium bowler played for his team between 1994 and 2008. He appeared in 320 innings of 322 ODI matches and took a stunning 400 wickets.


Vaas gave 11014 runs by delivering 15775 balls during this time, and thus has a Bowling Average of 27.53 and an Economy Rate of 4.18. He is the only bowler with a bowler to take an 8-wicket haul in ODI.

3. Waqar Younis
Waqar Younis
ODI Matches Played: 262
Total ODI Wickets: 416
Best Bowling: 7/36

Former Pakistani cricketer Waqar Younis is yet another Pakistani on this countdown, and is the third player among players with most ODIs wickets, with an amazing 416 wickets which he secured in his ODI career from 1989 to 2003, during which he performed in 258 innings in 262 matches.

He gave 9919 in 12698 balls. He has a Bowling Average of 23.84, while his Economic Rate is 4.68. This right-arm fast bowler is considered one of the best cricketers in the history of the sport, for his much-feared attacks.

2. Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram
ODI Matches Played: 356
Total ODI Wickets: 502
Best Bowling: 5/15

Yet another former player from Pakistan. and one of the Greatest Fast Bowler on the countdown of bowlers with the highest wickets in ODI cricket, Wasim Akram has an unreal 502 wickets, which he secured in 351 innings in 356 matches, during his ODI career from 1984 to 2003.

He delivered 18186 balls in ODI matches, gave 11812 runs, and thus has a Bowling Average of 23.52, along with an Economic Rate of 3.89. The left-arm fast bowler is noted for his reverse swing bowling, of which he is considered as one of the founders.

1. Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan 1
ODI Matches Played: 350
Total ODI Wickets: 534
Best Bowling: 7/30

With 534 wickets, Sri Lanka’s former right-arm off-break bowler Muttiah Muralitharan leads the list of highest wickets takers in ODI’s cricket. He represented his team from 1993 to 2011. During that time, he played in 341 innings of 350 matches of One Day International cricket.

He delivered 18811 balls during this time and gave 12326 runs. He got a Bowling Average of 23.08, along with an economy rate of 3.93. The only Sri Lankan on the ICC Hall of Fame, this player is also one of the best spin bowlers of all time.

Conclusion
These bowlers have created almost unbeatable records in wicket-taking in One Day International cricket, and have set really high standards for the current and future cricketers to become the highest wicket-takers in ODI’s cricket.