Best bowling figures in ODI World Cup: McGrath’s 7 for 15 still leads

Glenn McGrath’s 7 for 15 against Namibia in 2003 is still the best bowling in ODI World Cup history. It has stood for more than two decades, and the 2023 tournament came closer to it than any since — Mohammed Shami’s 7 for 57 in the semi-final is the fifth-best return ever.

Complete to 11 September 2026 — the next 50-over World Cup is in 2027, so nothing below has moved since November 2023.

Best bowling figures in ODI World Cup history

Every six-wicket haul ever bowled in a 50-over World Cup — all 14 of them. Ranked on wickets, then on runs conceded. Source: ESPNcricinfo.

Rank	Bowler	Team	Figures	Opposition	Ground	Date
1	Glenn McGrath	Australia	7-4-15-7	Namibia	Potchefstroom	27 February 2003
2	Andy Bichel	Australia	10-0-20-7	England	Gqeberha	2 March 2003
3	Tim Southee	New Zealand	9-0-33-7	England	Wellington	20 February 2015
4	Winston Davis	West Indies	10.3-0-51-7	Australia	Leeds	11 June 1983
5	Mohammed Shami	India	9.5-0-57-7	New Zealand	Wankhede	15 November 2023
6	Gary Gilmour	Australia	12-6-14-6	England	Leeds	18 June 1975
7	Ashish Nehra	India	10-2-23-6	England	Durban	26 February 2003
7	Shane Bond	New Zealand	10-2-23-6	Australia	Gqeberha	11 March 2003
9	Chaminda Vaas	Sri Lanka	9.1-2-25-6	Bangladesh	Pietermaritzburg	14 February 2003
10	Kemar Roach	West Indies	8.3-0-27-6	Netherlands	Delhi	28 February 2011
11	Mitchell Starc	Australia	9-0-28-6	New Zealand	Auckland	28 February 2015
12	Shaheen Shah Afridi	Pakistan	9.1-0-35-6	Bangladesh	Lord’s	5 July 2019
13	Lasith Malinga	Sri Lanka	7.4-0-38-6	Kenya	Colombo	1 March 2011
14	Ken MacLeay	Australia	11.5-3-39-6	India	Nottingham	13 June 1983

Glenn McGrath, 7 for 15

Defending 301, McGrath bowled seven overs, four of them maidens, and took seven wickets for 15 runs as Namibia were bowled out for 45. Australia won by 256 runs.

He dismissed Jan-Berrie Burger, Morne Karg, Danie Keulder, Gavin Murgatroyd, Deon Kotze, Louis Burger and Bjorn Kotze. Fifteen runs is the fewest anyone has conceded while taking seven in a World Cup, though it is not the most economical of them: McGrath went at 2.14 an over across seven, Bichel at exactly 2.00 across ten.

Andy Bichel, 7 for 20

Five days after McGrath’s spell, in the same tournament, Bichel took 7 for 20 from his full ten overs against England at Gqeberha, removing Nick Knight, Michael Vaughan, Nasser Hussain, Alec Stewart, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff and Ashley Giles.

England were held to 204 for 8, and Bichel then made 34 not out as Australia chased it down in 49.4 overs to win by two wickets — he took seven and then saw the game home unbeaten.

Tim Southee, 7 for 33

Southee took 7 for 33 against England at Wellington in 2015, dismissing Ian Bell, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, James Taylor and Steven Finn. England were bowled out for 123 in 33.2 overs and New Zealand won by eight wickets, chasing it in 12.2.

Mohammed Shami, 7 for 57 — the best by an India bowler

Shami’s 7 for 57 in the 2023 semi-final against New Zealand at the Wankhede is the best World Cup return by an India bowler, and the most recent entry on this list. India had made 397 for 4 and won by 70 runs.

It was one of his four World Cup five-wicket hauls, which are the most any bowler has taken in the tournament.

Best World Cup bowling by India

Rank	Bowler	Figures	Opposition	Ground	Date
1	Mohammed Shami	9.5-0-57-7	New Zealand	Wankhede	15 November 2023
2	Ashish Nehra	10-2-23-6	England	Durban	26 February 2003
3	Mohammed Shami	5-1-18-5	Sri Lanka	Wankhede	2 November 2023
4	Venkatesh Prasad	9.3-2-27-5	Pakistan	Manchester	8 June 1999
5	Robin Singh	9.3-0-31-5	Sri Lanka	Taunton	26 May 1999
5	Yuvraj Singh	10-0-31-5	Ireland	Bengaluru	6 March 2011
7	Ravindra Jadeja	9-1-33-5	South Africa	Eden Gardens	5 November 2023
8	Kapil Dev	12-2-43-5	Australia	Nottingham	13 June 1983

Three of India’s eight best World Cup bowling performances came in the 2023 tournament, two of them from Shami.

The record has stood since 2003

Five of the 14 six-wicket hauls above came in the 2003 World Cup in southern Africa — McGrath, Bichel, Nehra, Bond and Vaas, inside three weeks. Across the three tournaments since 2011 there have been four in total: two in 2015, one in 2019 and one in 2023.

McGrath’s 7 for 15 has survived 23 years and five World Cups. The 2027 tournament, in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, is the next chance for anyone to beat it.

 

Photo credit: Alamy