Taking wickets consistently in ODI cricket requires accuracy, variation and the ability to perform under pressure. Only a few bowlers have maintained exceptional records throughout their international careers.
Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan leads the list of most wickets in ODI cricket with 534 wickets. Pakistan’s Wasim Akram follows with 502, while Waqar Younis ranks third with 416.
The list features some of cricket’s greatest fast bowlers and spinners, including legends known for their swing, pace and spin.
This covers the top 10 highest wicket-takers in men’s ODI cricket, their career statistics and major bowling records.
Most Wickets in ODI Cricket: Top 10 Bowlers
Muttiah Muralitharan is the only bowler to have taken more than 530 wickets in men’s ODI cricket. Wasim Akram is the only other player to cross the 500-wicket mark.
| Rank | Player | Country | ODI Matches | Wickets |
| 1 | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 350 | 534 |
| 2 | Wasim Akram | Pakistan | 356 | 502 |
| 3 | Waqar Younis | Pakistan | 262 | 416 |
| 4 | Chaminda Vaas | Sri Lanka | 322 | 400 |
| 5 | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 398 | 395 |
| 6 | Shaun Pollock | South Africa | 303 | 393 |
| 7 | Glenn McGrath | Australia | 250 | 381 |
| 8 | Brett Lee | Australia | 221 | 380 |
| 9 | Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | 226 | 338 |
| 10 | Anil Kumble | India | 271 | 337 |
Note: The main leaderboard uses overall ODI career statistics, including recognised appearances for representative teams where applicable. This applies to several players, not just Anil Kumble. For example, Muralitharan, Vaas and Kumble represented Asia XI, while Afridi, Pollock and McGrath also had ICC World XI appearances. Kumble’s overall total includes three wickets in two Asia XI appearances. His India-only record is shown separately below.
1. Muttiah Muralitharan: 534 Wickets
Country: Sri Lanka
ODI career: 1993 to 2011
ODI matches: 350
Wickets: 534
Best bowling: 7/30
Muttiah Muralitharan holds the record for the most wickets in ODI cricket with 534 dismissals. His extraordinary career made him one of the most successful spin bowlers in international cricket.
The Sri Lankan off-spinner was known for his variations, sharp turn and ability to deceive batters. His doosra added another dimension to his bowling by turning in the opposite direction to his conventional off-break, making it difficult for batters to predict the delivery.
Muralitharan took 534 wickets in 350 ODI matches at an average of 23.08. He also recorded 10 five-wicket hauls and finished with best bowling figures of 7 for 30.
He played a major role in Sri Lanka’s 1996 Cricket World Cup victory and remained an important part of the national team for nearly two decades.
Muralitharan also holds the Test record with 800 wickets. He took 67 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket, the most in the format, and 10 in ODIs. His combined total of 77 international five-wicket hauls is also the highest in cricket history.
His five-wicket records connect him directly with Waqar Younis. Muralitharan has the second-most five-wicket hauls in ODI cricket, behind Waqar’s all-time record of 13.
2. Wasim Akram: 502 Wickets
Country: Pakistan
ODI career: 1984 to 2003
ODI matches: 356
Wickets: 502
Best bowling: 5/15
Wasim Akram is second on the list with 502 ODI wickets. He was one of the finest left-arm fast bowlers in cricket history and became the first bowler to reach 500 ODI wickets.
Akram could swing the ball in both directions and was particularly dangerous with the old ball. His reverse swing, yorkers and control made him difficult to face in the final overs.
He took 502 wickets in 356 matches at an average of 23.52. His best ODI bowling figures were 5 for 15.
One of the defining moments of his career came in the 1992 Cricket World Cup final against England. His consecutive deliveries to Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis helped Pakistan move towards victory.
Akram’s partnership with Waqar Younis also became one of the most feared fast-bowling combinations in international cricket.
3. Waqar Younis: 416 Wickets
Country: Pakistan
ODI career: 1989 to 2003
ODI matches: 262
Wickets: 416
Best bowling: 7/36
Waqar Younis ranks third with 416 ODI wickets. He was famous for his reverse swing and devastating yorkers, which regularly troubled batters around the world.
His ability to make the ball move late at high speed made him especially effective against the lower order. Waqar also developed a reputation for breaking partnerships with crucial wickets.
He collected 416 wickets in 262 ODI matches at an average of 23.84. His record includes 13 five-wicket hauls, the most by any bowler in men’s ODI history.
Waqar’s record of 13 ODI five-wicket hauls has stood since 2003. Muralitharan follows him with 10, while Mitchell Starc, with nine, is the closest active challenger as of the latest record snapshot.
Waqar also achieved a remarkable run of three consecutive ODI five-wicket hauls in November 1990:
- 5/11 against New Zealand at Peshawar on 4 November 1990.
- 5/16 against New Zealand at Sialkot on 6 November 1990.
- 5/52 against West Indies at Karachi on 9 November 1990.
Alongside Wasim Akram, Waqar formed a remarkable bowling partnership that helped Pakistan become a major force in international cricket during the 1990s.
4. Chaminda Vaas: 400 Wickets
Country: Sri Lanka
ODI career: 1994 to 2008
ODI matches: 322
Wickets: 400
Best bowling: 8/19
Chaminda Vaas is fourth with exactly 400 ODI wickets. The left-arm fast-medium bowler was known for swing, accuracy and his ability to take early wickets.
Vaas was particularly effective with the new ball. His control of line and length helped Sri Lanka put opposition teams under pressure during the opening overs.
He also holds the record for the best bowling figures in men’s ODI cricket. Vaas took 8 wickets for just 19 runs against Zimbabwe in Colombo on 8 December 2001.
He finished his ODI career with 400 wickets in 322 matches at an average of 27.53.
Vaas also took 355 wickets in 111 Test matches. With 355 Test wickets and 400 ODI wickets, he is the most successful fast bowler in Sri Lankan cricket history. His 16 international five-wicket hauls, including 12 in Tests and four in ODIs, are the second-most by a Sri Lankan bowler after Muralitharan.
5. Shahid Afridi: 395 Wickets
Country: Pakistan
ODI career: 1996 to 2015
ODI matches: 398
Wickets: 395
Best bowling: 7/12
Shahid Afridi ranks fifth with 395 ODI wickets. Although widely recognised for his aggressive batting, Afridi was also an effective leg-spinner.
His attacking approach helped him take wickets regularly, particularly when batters tried to increase the scoring rate. His googly and changes of pace made him difficult to read.
Afridi took 395 wickets in 398 ODI matches at an average of 34.51. His best figures of 7 for 12 came against the West Indies in 2013.
His ability to contribute with both bat and ball made him an important all-rounder for Pakistan.
6. Shaun Pollock: 393 Wickets
Country: South Africa
ODI career: 1996 to 2008
ODI matches: 303
Wickets: 393
Best bowling: 6/35
Shaun Pollock is sixth with 393 ODI wickets. The South African fast bowler was known for his accuracy, disciplined line and consistent movement off the pitch.
Pollock rarely depended on extreme pace. Instead, he built pressure through accurate bowling and made batters take risks to score runs.
He took 393 wickets in 303 ODI matches at an average of 24.50. His economy rate of 3.67 was particularly impressive for a bowler who regularly operated during important phases of an innings.
He also captained South Africa and contributed useful runs in the lower middle order.
7. Glenn McGrath: 381 Wickets
Country: Australia
ODI career: 1993 to 2007
ODI matches: 250
Wickets: 381
Best bowling: 7/15
Glenn McGrath ranks seventh with 381 ODI wickets. He was one of Australia’s most successful fast bowlers and played a major role in the team’s World Cup dominance.
McGrath relied on accuracy, bounce and consistent movement rather than extreme speed. His ability to bowl in the right areas made him difficult to score against.
He finished with 381 wickets in 250 ODI matches at an average of 22.02. His best figures were 7 for 15 against Namibia during the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
McGrath was also a key member of Australia’s World Cup-winning teams in 1999, 2003 and 2007.
8. Brett Lee: 380 Wickets
Country: Australia
ODI career: 2000 to 2012
ODI matches: 221
Wickets: 380
Best bowling: 5/22
Brett Lee is eighth with 380 ODI wickets. Known for his express pace, Lee regularly troubled batters with deliveries exceeding 150 kilometres per hour.
His aggressive bowling style and ability to produce fast yorkers made him a major threat in limited-overs cricket.
Lee took 380 wickets in 221 ODI matches at an average of 23.36. He played an important role in Australia’s successful teams during the 2000s, including the 2003 and 2007 World Cup campaigns.
9. Lasith Malinga: 338 Wickets
Country: Sri Lanka
ODI career: 2004 to 2019
ODI matches: 226
Wickets: 338
Best bowling: 6/38
Lasith Malinga ranks ninth with 338 ODI wickets. His unusual sling action, accurate yorkers and ability to bowl effective slower deliveries made him one of the most dangerous limited-overs bowlers.
Malinga was particularly successful in the death overs. He could regularly hit the base of the stumps and force batters into mistakes.
He finished with 338 wickets in 226 matches. One of his most remarkable achievements came during the 2007 Cricket World Cup, when he became the first bowler to take four wickets in four consecutive deliveries in an ODI. He achieved the feat against South Africa.
Malinga also holds several unique international bowling records:
- Two World Cup hat-tricks: He is the only bowler to take two hat-tricks in Cricket World Cup history, achieving them against South Africa in 2007 and Kenya in 2011.
- Three ODI hat-tricks: He is the only bowler to take three hat-tricks in men’s ODI cricket.
- Two four-wickets-in-four-balls performances: He is the only bowler to achieve this feat twice in international cricket. His first came against South Africa in the 2007 World Cup, and the second came against New Zealand in a T20 International in September 2019.
These achievements make Malinga one of the most unusual and successful wicket-taking bowlers in limited-overs cricket.
10. Anil Kumble: 337 Wickets
Country: India
ODI career: 1990 to 2007
ODI matches: 271
Wickets: 337
Best bowling: 6/12
Anil Kumble completes the top 10 with 337 ODI wickets. India’s legendary leg-spinner was known for accuracy, bounce and relentless pressure.
Unlike traditional leg-spinners who relied heavily on sharp turn, Kumble often used pace and bounce to trouble batters. His disciplined bowling made him effective in different conditions.
He took 337 wickets in 271 overall ODI matches at an average of 30.89. His overall record includes three wickets in two appearances for Asia XI. For India, he took 334 wickets in 269 ODI matches.
Kumble also finished with 619 Test wickets, making him one of India’s greatest bowlers across formats.
Who Has the Most Wickets in ODI Cricket for India?
Anil Kumble holds the record for the most ODI wickets for India with 334 wickets in 269 matches representing the national team.
| Rank | Indian Bowler | ODI Matches for India | ODI Wickets |
| 1 | Anil Kumble | 269 | 334 |
| 2 | Javagal Srinath | 229 | 315 |
| 3 | Ajit Agarkar | 191 | 288 |
| 4 | Zaheer Khan | 194 | 269 |
| 5 | Harbhajan Singh | 234 | 265 |
These figures are for India only. They can differ from overall career totals in broader international record tables that include representative teams. Kumble’s three additional wickets came in his two Asia XI appearances.
What Makes a Bowler Successful in ODI Cricket?
Taking a large number of ODI wickets requires more than speed or spin. Successful bowlers adapt to different conditions and understand when to attack or defend.
Some important qualities include:
- Accuracy: Consistent line and length make it difficult for batters to score freely.
- Variations: Swing, seam movement, slower balls and spin help create different wicket-taking opportunities.
- Death bowling: Accurate yorkers and slower deliveries can dismiss batters during the final overs.
- Control: Bowlers must balance wicket-taking with limiting the opposition’s scoring rate.
- Consistency: Long international careers provide more opportunities to build a high wicket tally.
The records of Muralitharan, Akram and McGrath show that different bowling styles can produce outstanding results.
Can Anyone Break Muralitharan’s Record of 534 ODI Wickets?
Source Image: Jagranjosh
Muralitharan’s record of 534 ODI wickets remains a major challenge for modern bowlers. No active bowler is currently close to his career total.
Mitchell Starc is among the leading active ODI wicket-takers, but his tally remains far below Muralitharan’s record. The difference highlights how difficult it is to maintain a long international career while consistently taking wickets in the 50-over format.
Muralitharan’s record is especially remarkable because he achieved it across 350 matches, combining longevity with outstanding consistency. For now, his position at the top of the ODI wicket-taking list remains secure.
Conclusion
Muttiah Muralitharan remains the leading wicket-taker in men’s ODI cricket with 534 wickets. Wasim Akram follows with 502, while Waqar Younis completes the top three with 416.
Waqar also holds the all-time ODI record of 13 five-wicket hauls, while Muralitharan leads international cricket with 77 five-wicket hauls across Tests and ODIs. Lasith Malinga’s three ODI hat-tricks and two four-wickets-in-four-balls performances further demonstrate the extraordinary achievements represented in this list.
Muralitharan’s 534 wickets remain well beyond the current active bowlers, making his record one of the most difficult milestones in ODI cricket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Muttiah Muralitharan holds the men’s ODI record with 534 wickets in 350 matches in his overall ODI career.
Wasim Akram is second with 502 ODI wickets. He became the first bowler to reach the 500-wicket milestone in the format.
Four bowlers in the top 10 have reached at least 400 wickets: Muttiah Muralitharan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Chaminda Vaas. Vaas finished with exactly 400.
Anil Kumble holds the Indian record with 334 ODI wickets in 269 matches representing India. Javagal Srinath follows with 315 wickets.
Chaminda Vaas holds the men’s ODI record with 8 wickets for 19 runs against Zimbabwe in Colombo on 8 December 2001.