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Muttiah Muralitharan (L) and Wasim Akram (R) (Source: AFP/X)
The bowling in ODI cricket demands the skills different from those required in Test cricket. Unlike the necessary endurance in Test cricket, the bowling in ODIs requires a bowler to adapt himself in three different phases across 50 overs of the same innings, be it the powerplay phase, middle overs or the death overs.
Meanwhile, there have been some notable ‘performers with the ball’, who brilliantly adapted themselves in the ODI cricket, alongside being active in the Test cricket as well.
Hence, here, we’ll have a look at the top 10 bowlers with most ODI wickets till January 2026
Top 10 bowlers with most ODI wickets till January 2026
Muttiah Muralitharan (Asia/ICC/Sri Lanka) - 534 ODI wickets (1993-2011)
The former Sri Lanka spin great Muttiah Muralitharan was undoubtedly an all-format legend, who proved his excellence across both the formats. Muralitharan made his ODI debut against India in the Colombo ODI on August 12, 1993.
Furthermore, he went on to be a part of the World Cup-winning side in the ODI World Cup 1996. Muralitharan represented the Islanders in the five ODI World Cup editions from 1996 to 2011.
The Kandy-born spin great scalped 534 wickets in 341 innings of his 350 ODIs, with 10 five-wicket hauls. He is the leading wicket-taker of all time in ODIs, alongside being at the same position among the leading wicket-takers of all time in Tests.
Wasim Akram (Pakistan) - 502 ODI wickets (1984-2003)
The pace bowling in ODIs in the late 80s and the 90s mostly revolved around one name: the former legendary Pakistan pacer, Wasim Akram. The Lahore-born pace-bowling maestro made his debut for Pakistan in 1984 against New Zealand in the Faisalabad ODI and played till 2003.
In his 19-year-long ODI career, Wasim Akram played 356 ODIs for Pakistan, scalping 502 wickets in 351 innings, claiming 17 four-wicket hauls and six five-wicket hauls. He ranks second in the list of top 10 bowlers with the most ODI wickets.
Besides that, Wasim Akram leads the chart of leading wicket-takers of all time among pacers in ODIs and is the leading wicket-taker of all time in ODIs for Pakistan.
Waqar Younis (Pakistan) - 416 ODI wickets (1989-2003)
Wasim Akram’s pace-bowling partner and another pace-bowling sensation of the 90s, Waqar Younis, represented Pakistan in ODIs for 14 years. After making his debut in 1989, Waqar played until 2003, appearing in 262 ODIs and picking up 416 wickets in 258 innings, claiming 14 four-wicket hauls and 13 five-wicket hauls.
He also holds the record of most ‘five-wicket hauls’ in ODIs, alongside being the third leading wicket-taker of all-time in ODIs. Apart from that, Waqar Younis is the second leading wicket-taker of all time for Pakistan in ODIs.
Chaminda Vaas (Asia/Sri Lanka) - 400 ODI wickets (1994-2008)
The former Sri Lankan pacer, Chaminda Vaas, served his national side for 14 years from 1994 to 2008. He bowled in 320 innings of the 322 ODIs he played for Sri Lanka. In these 320 innings, Vaas scalped 400 wickets, with nine four-wicket hauls and four five-wicket hauls.
He ranks fourth in the list of top 10 bowlers with the most ODI wickets. Besides that, he is the leading wicket-taker for Sri Lanka in the ODIs among pacers, while being the second leading wicket-taker of all time for Sri Lanka in the ODIs, following Muttiah Muralitharan.
Shahid Afridi (Asia/ICC/Pakistan) - 395 ODI wickets (1996-2015)
The former Pakistan skipper and one of the impactful all-rounders, Shahid Afridi, served the national side for 19 years from 1996 to 2015. He featured in 398 ODIs, while bowling in 372 innings. Afridi claimed 395 wickets in 372 innings, including four four-wicket hauls and nine five-wicket hauls.
Afridi is the third leading wicket-taker of all time in ODIs for Pakistan, alongside being sixth in the list of top 10 batters with most ODI wickets. Out of his 398 ODIs, Afridi led the Men in Green in 38 ODIs, winning 19 and losing 18, and one game without any result.
Speaking of his bowling performances as captain in 38 ODIs, Shahid Afridi snared 50 wickets in 37 innings, including two four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls.
Shaun Pollock (Africa/ICC/South Africa) - 393 ODI wickets (1996-2008)
The former legendary South Africa all-rounder, Shaun Pollock, served the rainbow nation in ODI cricket for more than a decade. Furthermore, he led the Proteas in One-Day Internationals.
In his 12-year-long ODI career, Pollock played 303 ODIs and bagged 393 wickets in 297 innings, with a decent economy rate of just 3.67, with 12 four-wicket hauls and five five-wicket hauls.
Out of his 303 ODIs, he captained South Africa in 97 ODIs, registering 60 wins and 33 defeats, alongside three tied games and one without any result. Besides this, he had quite good bowling numbers as captain in 96 innings, taking 94 wickets, including five four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.
Glenn McGrath (Australia/ICC) - 381 ODI wickets (1993-2007)
Apart from establishing his greatness in the longest format of the game, the former great, Glenn McGrath, was also the torchbearer of Australia’s pace-bowling in ODIs. McGrath represented Australia for 14 years and featured in four World Cups from 1999 to 2007.
Notably, McGrath was part of Australia’s World Cup-winning side in three consecutive editions, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He also won the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award for his stellar performances throughout his last World Cup appearance in 2007.
He scalped 381 wickets in 248 ODI innings of his 250 ODIs, including nine four-wicket hauls and seven five-wicket hauls. He is seventh in the list of top 10 bowlers with the most ODI wickets.
Brett Lee (Australia) - 380 ODI Wickets (2000-2012)
Brett Lee, another Aussie pace-bowling great, dominated the decade of the 2000s with his unplayable pace bowling in the ODIs. Lee represented Australia for 12 years and also featured in three ODI World Cup editions: 2003, 2007, and 2011. Lee was also part of Australia’s World Cup-winning side, led by Ricky Ponting, in 2003 and 2007.
The New South Wales-born bowling great picked 380 wickets in 217 innings of his 221 ODIs, with an economy rate of 4.76, including 14 four-wicket hauls and nine five-wicket hauls. He ranks eighth in the list of the top 10 bowlers with the most ODI wickets.
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) - 338 ODI wickets (2004-2019)
Known for his unorthodox bowling action, the former Sri Lankan pacer, Lasith Malinga, earned the reputation of a ‘lethal pacer’ to face in the powerplay phase of the innings in ODIs. He scalped 338 wickets in 220 innings of the 226 ODIs he played.
Malinga scalped these 338 wickets, with an economy of 5.35, picking 11 four-wicket hauls and eight five-wicket hauls. He is the third leading wicket-taker of all time in ODIs for Sri Lanka, alongside being ninth among the top 10 bowlers with most ODI wickets.
Anil Kumble (Asia/India) - 334 ODI Wickets (1990-2007)
Apart from his excellence in the Tests, the former India great, Anil Kumble, is the only Indian bowler among the top 10 bowlers with the most ODI wickets. However, the spin wizard is still the leading wicket-taker of all time in ODIs for India, even after almost 19 years of his retirement in 2007.
In his 17-year-long ODI career from 1990 to 2007, Kumble picked 337 wickets while playing for India and Asia XI. In these 337 ODI wickets, he claimed eight four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls. Anil Kumble ranks 10th in the list of the leading wicket-takers of all time in ODIs.
