The importance of ODI cricket today is mainly due to the ODI World Cups held every four years. T20 cricket and the ICC World Test Championship are more popular with fans now, and ODI cricket is slowly fading away.
ODI cricket was very popular in the 80s and 90s, with many teams touring each other. Recently, fewer people are watching ODI cricket. The ICC needs to find ways to save this format.
In this article, we will look at the top 10 wicket-takers in ODI cricket.
1. Anil Kumble (India) – 337 wickets
Kumble is the only Indian bowler on this list. He is India’s top wicket-taker in Test and ODI cricket. He took 619 Test wickets and 337 ODI wickets, including two five-wicket hauls.
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2. Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) – 338 wickets
Malinga is the third bowler on this list. He retired recently after playing at the highest level for 12 years. His unique bowling style was often talked about. Despite this, he took many wickets, finishing his career with 338 wickets, including eight five-wicket hauls.
3. Brett Lee (Australia) – 380 wickets
Lee was one of the fastest bowlers in international cricket. He played for Australia in all three formats and dominated most batsmen. He finished his career with 380 wickets in 221 matches, including nine five-wicket hauls. His rivalry with Sachin Tendulkar was one of the most exciting during his career.
4. Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 381 wickets
McGrath is one of the two Australian bowlers on this special list. He finished his career with 381 wickets and bowled against top batsmen. He dismissed Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara the most in his ODI career.
5. Shaun Pollock (South Africa) – 393 wickets
Shaun Pollock is the only South African bowler on this elite list. He finished his career with 393 wickets, including five five-wicket hauls. Pollock retired in 2008 and now works as a commentator.
6. Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) – 395 wickets
Shahid Afridi, a former captain of Pakistan, almost reached 400 wickets in ODIs. He was a charismatic cricketer who grabbed global attention. Afridi retired a few times but finally left cricket after the 2016 World Cup. Recently, he chose not to play in the last PSL season.
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7. Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka) – 400 wickets
Chaminda Vaas, a left-arm bowler from Sri Lanka, ranks fourth among bowlers with the most ODI wickets. He’s the second Sri Lankan on this list, finishing his career with 400 wickets, including four instances of taking five wickets in a match.
8. Waqar Younis (Pakistan) – 416 wickets
Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram were a fearsome bowling duo. They took 918 wickets in ODIs together, with Younis claiming 616 on his own. He retired with 13 five-wicket hauls, the most among the top 10 bowlers.
9. Wasim Akram (Pakistan) – 502 wickets
Wasim Akram, a former captain of Pakistan, was excellent at swing bowling. He played international cricket for nearly 20 years and took 1000 wickets. In ODIs, he finished with 502 wickets, including six times taking five wickets in a match.
10. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 534 wickets
Murali, a retired Sri Lankan spinner, took the most wickets in Test and ODI cricket. He’s one of only two bowlers to have over 500 wickets in both formats. Overall, he finished his career with 534 wickets and achieved ten five-wicket hauls.
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