Anil Kumble has taken the most wickets for India in ODIs, 334 in 269 matches. He finished in 2007 and no one has come close since — the nearest active bowler, Ravindra Jadeja, is more than 100 behind.
What has changed is further down. Mohammed Shami has gone past 200, and he holds India’s best ODI bowling figures and the most five-wicket hauls by an Indian.
Most wickets for India in ODIs
India’s 20 leading ODI wicket-takers, complete to 9 September 2026. Figures are for India only. Source: ESPNcricinfo.
| Rank | Player | Span | Mat | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ | 4w | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anil Kumble | 1990-2007 | 269 | 334 | 6/12 | 30.83 | 4.29 | 8 | 2 |
| 2 | Javagal Srinath | 1991-2003 | 229 | 315 | 5/23 | 28.08 | 4.44 | 7 | 3 |
| 3 | Ajit Agarkar | 1998-2007 | 191 | 288 | 6/42 | 27.85 | 5.07 | 10 | 2 |
| 4 | Zaheer Khan | 2000-2012 | 194 | 269 | 5/42 | 30.11 | 4.95 | 7 | 1 |
| 5 | Harbhajan Singh | 1998-2015 | 234 | 265 | 5/31 | 33.47 | 4.30 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | Kapil Dev | 1978-1994 | 225 | 253 | 5/43 | 27.45 | 3.71 | 3 | 1 |
| 7 | Ravindra Jadeja | 2009-2026 | 210 | 232 | 5/33 | 36.54 | 4.88 | 7 | 2 |
| 8 | Mohammed Shami | 2013-2025 | 108 | 206 | 7/57 | 24.05 | 5.58 | 10 | 6 |
| 9 | Venkatesh Prasad | 1994-2001 | 161 | 196 | 5/27 | 32.30 | 4.67 | 3 | 1 |
| 10 | Kuldeep Yadav | 2017-2026 | 121 | 194 | 6/25 | 27.04 | 5.07 | 9 | 2 |
| 11 | Irfan Pathan | 2004-2012 | 120 | 173 | 5/27 | 29.72 | 5.26 | 5 | 2 |
| 12 | Manoj Prabhakar | 1984-1996 | 130 | 157 | 5/33 | 28.87 | 4.27 | 4 | 2 |
| 13 | Ravichandran Ashwin | 2010-2023 | 116 | 156 | 4/25 | 33.20 | 4.93 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Ashish Nehra | 2001-2011 | 117 | 155 | 6/23 | 31.60 | 5.21 | 5 | 2 |
| 15 | Sachin Tendulkar | 1989-2012 | 463 | 154 | 5/32 | 44.48 | 5.10 | 4 | 2 |
| 16 | Jasprit Bumrah | 2016-2026 | 91 | 151 | 6/19 | 23.74 | 4.58 | 6 | 2 |
| 17 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 2012-2022 | 121 | 141 | 5/42 | 35.11 | 5.08 | 4 | 1 |
| 18 | Ravi Shastri | 1981-1992 | 150 | 129 | 5/15 | 36.04 | 4.21 | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | Yuzvendra Chahal | 2016-2023 | 72 | 121 | 6/42 | 27.13 | 5.26 | 5 | 2 |
| 20 | Ishant Sharma | 2007-2016 | 80 | 115 | 4/34 | 30.98 | 5.72 | 6 | 0 |
Anil Kumble’s 334
Kumble and Javagal Srinath are the only Indians to have taken 300 ODI wickets, and both were finished by 2007. Kumble also played more matches for India than anyone else in the list, 269.
His best figures came in the Hero Cup final against West Indies at Eden Gardens on 27 November 1993: six for 12 from 6.1 overs, defending 225. Only two Indians have bettered it in an ODI innings: Mohammed Shami’s seven for 57 and Stuart Binny’s six for four against Bangladesh in 2014.
One number to be careful with. Kumble played 271 ODIs in all and took 337 wickets, but two of those matches were for the Asia XI rather than India. The 269 and 334 above are his India figures, which is what this list counts.
Mohammed Shami, and the records that moved
Shami has 206 wickets in 108 matches, and three things in the table belong to him.
India’s best ODI bowling figures are his seven for 57, taken against New Zealand at the Wankhede on 15 November 2023 in the World Cup semi-final. His six five-wicket hauls are the most by an Indian in ODIs, double the three that Srinath and Harbhajan Singh managed — and no one else in the list has more than three.
He also shares the most four-wicket hauls in the list. Ajit Agarkar’s ten used to be a solo record; Shami has ten as well.
Who is still playing
Three of the 20 are still active: Ravindra Jadeja on 232, Kuldeep Yadav on 194 and Jasprit Bumrah on 151.
Bumrah has the best average of anyone on the list, 23.74, and has taken his 151 in only 91 matches. Kuldeep’s nine four-wicket hauls are third behind Agarkar and Shami.
Averages, economy and the outlier
Kapil Dev conceded 3.71 an over, the most economical figure in the list by a distance — the next best is Ravi Shastri’s 4.21. Six of the 20 went at under 4.50 an over, and only one of the six, Harbhajan Singh, was still playing after 2007.
The name that surprises people is Sachin Tendulkar, 15th with 154 wickets — more than Jasprit Bumrah or Bhuvneshwar Kumar have taken. He has two five-wicket hauls for India, the best of them five for 32.
Most wickets for India in ODIs: quick answers
Who has taken the most wickets for India in ODIs? Anil Kumble, with 334.
Which Indians have 300 ODI wickets? Only Kumble (334) and Javagal Srinath (315).
What are the best ODI bowling figures by an Indian? Mohammed Shami’s seven for 57 against New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup semi-final.
Who leads among active bowlers? Ravindra Jadeja, with 232.
Who has the best average in the list? Jasprit Bumrah, at 23.74.
See also our list of the most Test wickets for India.
Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates from the world of sports!
Interested in cricket betting? Click here to check out the list of top sites.
Featured photo: AFP / Gianluigi Guercia