Most ODI Wickets for India in a Calendar Year
| Player | Year | Innings | Wickets | Average | 4W/5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anil Kumble | 1996 | 32 | 61 | 20.24 | 3/0 |
| Ajit Agarkar | 1998 | 30 | 58 | 23.75 | 3/0 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 2013 | 34 | 52 | 25.40 | 1/1 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 2023 | 29 | 49 | 20.48 | 2/1 |
| Irfan Pathan | 2004 | 28 | 47 | 26.38 | 1/0 |
| Venkatesh Prasad | 1999 | 34 | 46 | 26.71 | 0/1 |
| Venkatesh Prasad | 1996 | 30 | 45 | 28.84 | 1/0 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 2018 | 19 | 45 | 17.77 | 2/1 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 2023 | 24 | 44 | 20.68 | 2/1 |
| Mohammed Shami | 2023 | 19 | 43 | 16.46 | 1/4 |
| Mohammed Shami | 2019 | 21 | 42 | 22.64 | 2/1 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 2013 | 29 | 40 | 33.82 | 0/0 |
Explore More “Indian Bowling” Records
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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
Best ODI Bowling Figures for India
Best Test Bowling Figures for India
Best T20I Bowling Figures for India
Key Insights on Most ODI Wickets Taken by Indian Bowlers in a Calendar Year
Top Tally of Wickets by an Indian Bowler in a Single Calendar Year
Anil Kumble holds the record for most ODI wickets for India in a calendar year, taking 61 wickets from 32 games in 1996 at an average of 20.24. Anil Kumble also holds the overall record for the most wickets for India in the 50-overs format history.
Ajit Agarkar is next on the list, having taken 58 wickets across 30 ODIs in the year 1998.
Ravindra Jadeja is the only other bowler to capture 50 or more wickets in a single ODI season, taking 52 wickets in 34 games in 2013, the year India won the ICC Champions Trophy.
Kuldeep Yadav narrowly missed the 50-scalp mark, taking 49 wickets in 2023 at an average of 20.48.
Record for Most 35-Wicket Seasons in ODI Cricket
The minimum criteria for a prolific season is set at 35 or more wickets in a single year, with 24 instances achieved by Indian bowlers.
The fast bowler duo of Zaheer Khan and Mohammed Shami have achieved 35+ wickets seasons thrice, the most for any Indian bowler.
Shami had 35+ wickets seasons in 2014, 2019, and 2023. Zaheer achieved this in 2002, 2003, and 2007.
Anil Kumble (61 wickets in 1996 and 37 in 1998), Kuldeep Yadav (45 wickets in 2018 and 49 in 2023), Venkatesh Prasad (1996 & 1998), and Irfan Pathan (2004 & 2006) are the six Indian bowlers to have taken 35+ wickets in a calendar year more than once.
Other players who have achieved a 35-wicket season include Ravichandran Ashwin, Nikhil Chopra, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Javagal Srinath, and Ishant Sharma.
Best Bowling Average and Strike Rate in a High-Wicket Season
Mohammed Shami holds the best bowling average for an Indian bowler with a minimum of 35 ODI wickets in a single year, averaging a miserly 16.46 for his 43 wickets from just 19 games in 2023.
Kuldeep Yadav has the next best average of 17.77, achieved when he took 45 wickets in 19 games in 2018.
Shami’s bowling strike rate of 18.5 in 2023 is the best for any Indian bowler, followed closely by Kuldeep’s 22.9 in 2018.
Shami has the most five-wicket hauls for an Indian bowler in a single ODI year, taking four five-wicket hauls and one four-wicket haul in 2023.
Shami’s 7/57 is the best bowling analysis for an Indian bowler in ODI history, achieved during his memorable run in the 2023 World Cup.
Shami (55), Zaheer Khan (44), and Srinath (44) have the most cumulative wickets for India in the World Cup tournament.
Striking Indian Bowlers: Indian Bowlers with Best Strike Rate in ODI (Min. 50 Wickets)
