India was the first-ever nation to defeat the mighty West Indies in a World Cup final. The year was 1983 and the format comprised 60 overs, a quite significant nation emerged in the game of cricket. Under the leadership of the great Kapil, the nation found joy in the sport. Known for its determined spirit, the nation gifted cricket some of the greatest bowlers in the form of Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, and Kapil Dev. bowlers. In modern-day cricket, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and a classy spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have contributed immensely to the nation. This article will tell our readers about the top 10 Indians with the most wickets in ODI World Cups.
1. Zaheer Khan
The left-arm fast bowler was a true blessing to Indian cricket. The former bowler was one of the rarer left-armers in the history of Indian cricket. His accurate line and length and strong seam position earned him a lot of wickets. Zaheer Khan made his ODI debut against Kenya in 2000. The bowler made an immense contribution to the team in his career. His standout performance will always be the 21 wickets he took in the 2011 World Cup triumph. In the final against Sri Lanka, Zaheer bowled three consecutive maidens upfront and set the tone for India. He played 23 World Cup matches and scalped 44 wickets with the best figures of 4/42.
2. Javagal Srinath
One of the best medium pacers in the nation, Javagal Srinath, was a former right-handed fast-medium bowler. He made his ODI debut against Pakistan in 1991. He will always be remembered for the spell of 6/21 against South Africa at Ahmedabad. The pitch did not favor the fast bowlers, yet Srinath, with the help of his variations, demolished the proteas. He was also honored by the Indian Government with the Arjuna Award. He scalped 44 wickets in the ODI World Cups in just 34 games.
3. Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami, the modern-day fast bowler for India, is one of the best in business. With perfect seam position and pace over 140kmph, Shami has got rid of even the best of batters. He has already taken nine wickets in the two games he has played in the ongoing World Cup at home. Shami made his ODI debut against Pakistan in 2013 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and announced himself in international cricket. Shami has always been one of the best fast bowlers in Indian cricket across formats. His skill set has allowed him to dominate all three forms of the game. He has played just thirteen World Cup games and has taken 40 wickets with the best figures of 5/54.
4. Jasprit Bumrah
The best Indian fast bowler currently, Jasprit Bumrah, a muscular guy with an unorthodox action has written his journey in international cricket. A classical swing and pace bowler in the first 10 overs and an equally good death bowler in the last 10 overs, Bumrah has given the team an unshakable balance and trust. His skill set is one of the best in terms of fast bowling. Each aspect of the bowler defines class and hard work. He made his ODI debut in Australia in 2016. He established himself in the IPL by performing consistently for the Mumbai Indians which was followed by an international call-up quickly. He has taken 32 wickets in 15 World Cup games.
5. Anil Kumble
The best leg-spinner to ever play for India, Anil Kumble, was a former tall right-arm bowler who bamboozled the batters with quite ease. The first and only Indian bowler to take ten wickets in one innings in a test match, Kumble wrote history. His rhythmic run-up followed by perfect ball release was just so nice to watch. Kumble made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in 1990. He played 18 World Cup matches and scalped 31 wickets with the best figures of 4/32.
6. Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev was the first-ever Indian skipper to win an ODI World Cup. Under his leadership, India defeated the mighty West Indies in the final of the 1983 World Cup. Popularly known as the “Haryana Hurricane,’ Kapil Dev was a former all-rounder who was a right-arm fast-medium bowler and a hard hitter down the order. He played 26 games for India in the World Cups and scalped 28 wickets with best figures of 5/43.
7. Manoj Prabhakar
Manoj Prabhakar was a former right-arm fast-medium bowler and a right-handed batter. He made his ODI debut for India against Sri Lanka in 1984 at Sharjah. He was a line and length bowler who used to contain the batters. He played nineteen World Cup games and picked up 24 wickets with best figures of 4/19.
8. Madan Lal
One of the finest all-rounders for India, Madan Lal, was a former right-handed batter and a right-arm medium bowler. He played 67 ODIs and 39 tests after his debut in 1974. He had a good bowling action and acted as a golden-arm for team India. With 73 ODI wickets and 401 runs in ODIs in just 35 innings, Madan Lal retired as one of the great Indian cricketers. He played 11 World Cup games and picked up 22 wickets with best figures of 4/20.
9. Yuvraj Singh
The greatest White-ball all-rounder ever to don the Indian jersey, Yuvraj Singh, was a former left-handed middle-order batter and a left-arm slow spinner. A true fighter in every sense, he was the man of the tournament in the 2011 World Cup even after battling cancer symptoms. Yuvraj was the first batter to hit six sixes in an over in the shortest format of the game. He scalped 20 wickets in 23 games in the World Cups.
10. Harbhajan Singh
The former off-spinner for India was a great maestro of spin bowling. Having performed across formats, Harbhajan established himself as a key asset in the team. He also turns himself into a handy batter down the order later on in his career. Popularly known as ‘Bhajji,’ he scalped 20 wickets in the 21 World Cup games with best figures of 3/53.
