India has grown leaps and bounds as a cricketing and sporting nation over the last few decades. In cricket, the team became popular either because of some of the prolific batters they have had in the past or due to the potent spinners that they churn out generation after generation.
But over the last decade or so, India has been able to produce quality pacers, and the performance of the team across formats has been upwards. These pacers have done tremendously well for them in terms of making a lasting impact, either by picking wickets or bowling one dream spell after another.
Just like any format, wickets are important for a team to win the contest in ODIs too.
Here are the top 10 Indian bowlers who, historically, have had impressive strike rates (balls per wicket) in ODIs.
Indian Bowlers with Best Strike Rate in ODI (Min. 50 Wickets)
| Player | Innings | Balls Bowled | Wickets | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Shami | 107 | 5326 | 206 | 25.8 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 46 | 2089 | 73 | 28.6 |
| Shardul Thakur | 46 | 1940 | 65 | 29.8 |
| Amit Mishra | 34 | 1917 | 64 | 29.9 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 88 | 4580 | 149 | 30.7 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 69 | 3739 | 121 | 30.9 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 111 | 5814 | 182 | 31.9 |
| Ishant Sharma | 78 | 3733 | 115 | 32.4 |
| Ajit Agarkar | 188 | 9484 | 288 | 32.9 |
| S Sreesanth | 52 | 2508 | 75 | 33.0 |
Explore More “Indian Bowling” Records
Most Wickets in Tests for India
Most Wickets in T20Is for India
Most ODI Wickets for India in a Calendar Year
Most Test Wickets for India in a Calendar Year
Most T20I Wickets for India in a Calendar Year
Most Wickets across All Formats for India
Most ODI 5-Wicket Hauls for India
Most Test 5-Wicket Hauls for India
Most Test 10-Wickets Hauls for India
Best ODI Bowling Figures for India
Best Test Bowling Figures for India
Best T20I Bowling Figures for India
Key Insights on Strike Rate and Milestones of Indian ODI Bowlers
Contemporary Pace and Spin Attack Performance
The best Indian bowler in terms of having a miserly strike rate is one of the current frontline pacers of the country, Mohammed Shami.
Another contemporary speedster, Mohammed Siraj, is also among the bowlers with the best strike rates for India.
Shami has one of the best averages for an Indian bowler who has taken 150 wickets or more. (See who tops the overall chart here.)
Speaking of averages, Kuldeep Yadav follows Shami with an incredible bowling average, and his strike rate speaks volumes about his ability.
A surprising name in the list is that of Shardul Thakur who has proved to be useful for India, being amongst the wickets more often, especially in ODIs.
Pacers’ Dominance in Wicket-Taking Efficiency
Though India is often called a country where spinners dominate, this list of bowlers with strike rates has more number of pacers compared to that of the tweaker.
There are only 3 spinners in the top 10 Indian bowlers with the best strike rates in ODI cricket.
Veterans and High Wicket-Takers’ ODI Strike Rate Context
The only bowler with more than 250+ ODI wickets for India to feature in the top 10 best bowling strike rates is the former pacer Ajit Agarkar.
Agarkar has taken 288 wickets in this format in just 191 games, and it came at an average of 27.85. He has taken 2 five-wicket hauls in his glittering ODI career.
The highest ODI wicket-taker for India, Anil Kumble (334), didn’t feature among the top 10 bowlers with minimum strike rates.
To sum it up, 6 of the 7 Indian bowlers who have taken 200 or more wickets in ODIs don’t find a mention in this list, including legendary names like Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, and Ravindra Jadeja.
