India has been a strong team irrespective of the format of the game. They are the 1983 and 2011 ODI World Cup winners and also won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. Thus, they are always among the top sides in this game. India has always produced some legendary batters in this game across all formats. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly are some prime examples.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are carrying this legacy further. But being a strong batting nation, India has also given this game some really good bowlers. In this article, we will cover the list of bowlers with the most ODI wickets for India in history. So let’s check.
5. Harbhajan Singh – 265 wickets in 234 ODIs
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan makes fifth on the list. Bhajji made his ODI debut for India in April 1998 against New Zealand at Sharjah. He became the first choice spinner for India in a short span of time. Bhajji was part of India’s 2007 and 2011 World Cup glories and played an important role. He played a total of 234 ODIs and took 265 wickets in his career, for an economy rate of 4.31.
4. Zaheer Khan – 282 wickets in 200 ODIs
Zaheer Khan was arguably the best left-arm pacer that India has ever produced in this game. He was the lader of the Indian bowler attack and was the highest wicket-taker in the 2011 ODI World Cup to help India to win. Zaheer made his ODI debut in October 2000 against Kenya and picked up 3/48. He played a total of 200 ODIs and took 282 wickets in his career, with a best bowling figure of 5/42.
3. Ajit Agarkar – 288 wickets in 191 ODIs
Former Indian pacer Ajit Agarkar, who holds the record for fastest ODI half-century, is third on the list. The right-armer made his ODI debut in April 1998 against Australia at Kochi. He was part of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup triumph for India. Agarkar played a total of 191 ODIs and took 288 wickets at an economy rate of 5.07. He also picked two fifers with a best figure of 6/42.
2. Javagal Srinath – 315 wickets in 229 ODIs
Former Indian pacer Javagal Srinath was India’s go-through bowler in the 1990s. He made his debut in October 1991 against Pakistan in Sharjah and impressed everyone. Srinath played until the 2003 ODI World Cup in South Africa. In fact, the final between India and Australia was his last ODI game. Srinath played a total of 229 ODIs in his career and took 315 wickets at an economy rate of 4.44, with the best figure of 5/23.
1. Anil Kumble – 334 wickets in 269 ODIs
Former Indian captain and leg-spinner Anil Kumble has taken the most wickets for India, not just in ODIs but overall in international cricket. Kumble was a street-smart cricketer who was an aggressive spinner across formats. He made his debut in April 1990 against Sri Lanka in Sharjah. Kumble represented India in a total of 271 ODI matches and took 337 wickets at an economy rate of 4.30 and a best bowling figure of 6/12.
List of Highest Wicket Taker in ODI for India
| Bowler | Span | Mts | Wkts | BBI | Econ | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anil Kumble | 1990-2007 | 269 | 334 | 6/12 | 4.29 | 2 |
| Javagal Srinath | 1991-2003 | 229 | 315 | 5/23 | 4.44 | 3 |
| Ajit Agarkar | 1998-2007 | 191 | 288 | 6/42 | 5.07 | 2 |
| Zaheer Khan | 2000-2012 | 200 | 282 | 5/42 | 4.95 | 1 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 1998-2015 | 234 | 265 | 5/31 | 4.30 | 3 |
| Kapil Dev | 1978-1994 | 225 | 253 | 5/43 | 3.71 | 1 |
| Venkatesh Prasad | 1994-2001 | 161 | 196 | 5/27 | 4.67 | 1 |
| Ravindra Jadeja* | 2009-2022 | 171 | 189 | 5/36 | 4.92 | 1 |
| Irfan Pathan | 2004-2012 | 120 | 173 | 5/27 | 5.26 | 2 |
| Manoj Prabhakar | 1984-1996 | 130 | 157 | 5/33 | 4.27 | 2 |