Top 10 Indian bowlers with most ODI wickets till January 2026

Anil Kumble (L) and Zaheer Khan (R) (Source: AFP)

India’s ODI dominance post the historic 1983 World Cup win has not been built solely on batting brilliance. It has a lot of contributions added by the generations of bowlers who served Indian cricket in the 50-over format. 

The bowlers, both spinners and pacers, who controlled the game, attacked when required and finished it on the winning notes for India. It involves both the pacers swinging with the new ball and the spinner controlling the opponents in the middle overs. 

Hence, here, we’ll have a look at the top 10 Indian bowlers with the most ODI wickets since India played their first ODI appearance in 1974. 

Top 10 Indian bowlers with the most ODI wickets

Anil Kumble (1990-2007) - 334 ODI wickets 

Anil Kumble ended his career as an all-time bowling great for India across both the formats, be it Tests or ODIs. Apart from being the leading wicket-taker of all time in Tests for India, Kumble is also the leading wicket-taker of all time in ODIs for India. 

Kumble’s bowling brilliance can be underscored by the fact that he is dominating this list even after almost 19 years of his ODI retirement. He picked 334 wickets in 263 innings of the 269 matches he played for India. 

Kumble picked up these wickets, with a brilliant economy rate of 4.29, alongside claiming eight four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls. 

Javagal Srinath (1991-2003) - 315 ODI wickets 

The former pace-bowling great, Javagal Srinath, was one of the go-to new-ball bowlers for India in his 12-year ODI career from 1991 to 2003. He was also part of the Indian side that played in the final of the 2003 ODI World Cup against Australia and finished as runners-up. 

Srinath played 229 matches for India, scalping 315 wickets in 227 innings, with an economy rate of 4.44, picking seven four-wicket hauls and three five-wicket hauls. He is second in the list of the top 10 Indian bowlers with the most ODI wickets. 

Ajit Agarkar (1998-2007) - 288 ODI wickets 

The former pace-bowling all-rounder Ajit Agarkar served the Indian cricket team for nine years, from his debut in 1998 to his last ODI appearance in 2007. Agarkar played 191 ODIs for India and claimed 288 wickets in 188 innings, with an economy rate of 5.07. 

He also registered 10 four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls with his bowling brilliance. Agarkar ranks third among the leading wicket-takers of all time in ODIs for India. 

Zaheer Khan (2000-2012) - 269 ODI wickets 

The former World Cup Champion pacer, Zaheer Khan, was a vital cog in the wheel for India in ODIs in the 2000s. He also featured in three ODI World Cups for India, in 2003 and 2007, followed by 2011, when India lifted the World Cup title after a 28-year wait since 1983. 

Zaheer claimed 269 wickets in 188 innings of the 191 games he played. In these 269 wickets, he bagged seven four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul. Zak is placed at the fourth spot in the list of the top 10 Indian bowlers with the most ODI wickets. 

Harbhajan Singh (1998-2015) - 265 ODI wickets 

The World Cup-winning off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh, represented India in 234 ODIs during his 17-year career from 1998 to 2015. Harbhajan claimed 265 wickets in 225 innings, with an economy rate of 4.30, picking two four-wicket hauls and three five-wicket hauls. 

Harbhajan is fifth in the list of top 10 Indian bowlers with the most ODI wickets. Before ending his career as the fifth leading wicket-taker in ODIs for India, Harbhajan had surpassed the former legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev. 

Kapil Dev (1978-1994) - 253 ODI wickets 

The former legendary all-rounder and India’s first-ever World Champion skipper, Kapil Dev, left an everlasting impact on Indian cricket with his batting and bowling. Kapil played 225 ODIs for India from 1978 to his last ODI game in 1994. 

In these appearances, the former skipper picked 253 ODI wickets in 221 innings, with a brilliant economy rate of just 3.71, picking three four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul. He is the sixth leading wicket-taker of all time in ODIs for India. 

Ravindra Jadeja (2009-Present) - 232 ODI wickets

The veteran all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, is one of the only two currently active bowlers with the most ODI wickets for India. He has played 210 ODIs for India since his debut almost 17 years back in 2009. 

Since then, he has bagged 232 wickets in 202 innings, with an economy rate of just 4.88, taking seven four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls. He is ranked seventh among the top 10 Indian bowlers with the most ODI wickets. Besides that, he is the leading wicket-taker among the currently active bowlers for India. 

Mohammed Shami (2013-Present) - 206 ODI wickets 

The veteran pacer and India’s star of World Cups, Mohammed Shami, has been the most impactful pacer in ODIs since his debut. His omission from the current ODI setup, despite a brilliant run of form, has also drawn severe criticism from a large group of Indian cricket fans. 

Shami has picked 206 wickets in 107 innings of the 108 ODIs he has played for India. In these 206 wickets, he has bagged 10 four-wicket hauls and six five-wicket hauls, being the Indian bowler with the most five-wicket hauls in ODIs. 

Apart from that, the Amroha-born pacer is also the leading wicket-taker for India in the ODI World Cups. He has claimed 55 wickets in 18 innings of the 18 matches he played across three World Cups from 2015 to 2023. He is eighth in the list of top 10 Indian bowlers with the most ODI wickets. 

Venkatesh Prasad (1994-2001) - 196 ODI wickets 

The former pacer Venkatesh Prasad was one of the key partners for Javagal Srinath, especially when bowling with the new ball, especially in the mid and late 90s. Prasad represented India for seven years, playing 161 ODIs from 1994 to 2001. 

The Bangalore-born pacer picked 196 wickets in 160 innings, with an economy rate of 4.67, picking three four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul. Prasad is in the ninth spot among the leading wicket-takers of all time in ODIs for India. 

Kuldeep Yadav (2017-Present) 

The talented left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, has left everyone awestruck with his sensational performances in the ODIs, despite getting quite a few chances to play. He is one of the top three leading wicket-takers in ODIs among the currently active Indian bowlers. 

Kuldeep has played 120 ODIs for India since his debut in 2017, picking 194 wickets in 117 innings with an economy rate of 5.08. He has claimed nine four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls. Kuldeep is ranked 10th in the list of top 10 Indian bowlers with the most ODI wickets.