Top 5 Players with Most Wickets in ODI

One Day International cricket has featured some of the most talented and distinguished bowlers in the history of the game. These bowlers possessed skillful agility, accuracy, and the ability to produce outstanding performances under pressure. They handled the demands of pressure with ease and served to shape eras, sometimes single-handedly changing matches. This blog discusses the Top 5 all-time ODI wicket-takers, with some highlights of their wonderful careers and what they achieved in the game.

Top Player With Most Wickets

1. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 534 Wickets

Muralitharan has the undisputed record for most ODI wickets ever, taking 534 wickets in 350 matches from 1993 to 2011. Muralitharan had great mastery over the ball, had the skill to bowl off-spin, and produced the doosra with deadly accuracy, making him a threat all the time in an ODI. He had an economy of 3.93, together with his wicket-taking ability, which made him a well-controlled bowler.

2. Wasim Akram (Pakistan) – 502 Wickets

Akram, known as the “Sultan of Swing” was the first bowler to take 500 wickets in ODIs. Akram had a total of 502 wickets in the 356 matches he played, with an average of 23.52 and an economy of 3.89. Akram used swing and reverse swing deliveries to trouble batsmen at will, particularly in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

3. Waqar Younis (Pakistan) – 416 Wickets

At third place, Waqar Younis dismissed 416 batsmen across 262 ODIs (1989-2003). Waqar was well-known for his express pace and toe-crushing yorkers, and he registered 13 five-wicket hauls in ODIs. With the best figures of 7/36, he had match-winning ability.

4. Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka) – 400 Wickets

Sri Lanka’s bowling spearhead and left-arm fast bowler Chaminda Vaas had 400 wickets in 322 matches. While Chaminda was known for accuracy, he also possessed a form of swing. Chaminda still holds the best ODI bowling performance of 8/19.

5. Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) – 395 Wickets

Shahid Afridi finished fifth in the list with 395 dismissals from 398 ODIs. Afridi can also lay claim to explosive batting and outrageous power, but his leg-spin was equally resilient, best being 7/12, nine four-wicket innings, and four five-wicket hauls. Afridi was always a dangerous bowler.