Explore the legendary bowling performances and statistical milestones that define the record for the most wickets taken in an ODI bilateral series.
Most Wickets in an ODI Bilateral Series
| Player | Innings | Wickets | Best Bowling (Innings) | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | 4W/5W | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javagal Srinath (IND) | 7 | 18 | 4/23 | 11.16 | 3.03 | 22.10 | 1/0 | New Zealand vs India, 2002/03 |
| Amit Mishra (IND) | 5 | 18 | 6/48 | 11.61 | 4.40 | 15.80 | 1/1 | Zimbabwe vs India, 2013 |
| Patrick Patterson (WI) | 6 | 17 | 6/29 | 11.58 | 3.81 | 18.20 | 1/1 | India vs West Indies, 1987 |
| Craig Matthews (SA) | 7 | 17 | 4/10 | 14.00 | 3.76 | 22.20 | 2/0 | South Africa vs Australia, 1994 |
| Kuldeep Yadav (IND) | 6 | 17 | 4/23 | 13.88 | 4.62 | 18.00 | 2/0 | South Africa vs India, 2018 |
| Rashid Khan (AFG) | 5 | 16 | 6/43 | 13.37 | 4.50 | 17.80 | 2/1 | Afghanistan vs Ireland, 2017 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal (IND) | 6 | 16 | 5/22 | 16.37 | 5.02 | 19.50 | 1/1 | South Africa vs India, 2018 |
| Rashid Khan (AFG) | 5 | 16 | 5/24 | 7.93 | 3.22 | 14.70 | 1/1 | Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, 2018 |
| Paul Jarvis (ENG) | 6 | 15 | 5/35 | 16.60 | 4.63 | 21.40 | 0/1 | India vs England, 1993 |
| Sourav Ganguly (IND) | 6 | 15 | 5/16 | 10.66 | 3.27 | 19.50 | 0/1 | India vs Pakistan, 1997 |
| Naved-ul-Hasan (PAK) | 6 | 15 | 6/27 | 16.40 | 4.85 | 20.20 | 0/1 | India vs Pakistan, 2005 |
| Ajantha Mendis (SL) | 5 | 15 | 6/29 | 8.60 | 3.58 | 14.40 | 1/1 | Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka, 2008 |
| Graeme Cremer (ZIM) | 5 | 15 | 4/31 | 11.46 | 3.75 | 18.30 | 2/0 | Kenya vs Zimbabwe, 2009 |
| Abdur Razzak (BAN) | 5 | 15 | 5/29 | 11.46 | 4.19 | 16.40 | 0/1 | Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe, 2009 |
| Amit Mishra (IND) | 5 | 15 | 5/18 | 14.33 | 4.79 | 17.90 | 0/1 | India vs New Zealand, 2016 |
| Jasprit Bumrah (IND) | 5 | 15 | 5/27 | 11.26 | 3.90 | 17.30 | 1/1 | Sri Lanka vs India, 2017 |
Key Insights on Record-Breaking Bowling Performances in ODI Series
Most Wickets in a Single ODI Bilateral Series
Javagal Srinath and Amit Mishra share the record for the most wickets in an ODI bilateral series.
Srinath snared 18 scalps in the seven-match series against New Zealand in 2002/03, whereas Mishra levelled the record on the five-match Zimbabwe tour in 2013.
Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are the only pair to take 30-plus wickets together in a single series; Kuldeep fetched 17 while Chahal claimed 16 scalps against South Africa in 2018. 2018 is also the best year for Kuldeep Yadav in terms of T20I wickets.
Craig Matthews has taken the most wickets in a series at home, returning 17 wickets against Australia in 1994.
Graeme Cremer holds the record for the most wickets in a debut bilateral series with 15 scalps against Kenya in 2009.
Leading Bowlers with Multiple High-Wicket Series
Amit Mishra and Rashid Khan are the only two bowlers to grab 15 or more wickets in two different bilateral series.
Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock have picked up 10 or more wickets in seven bilateral series each, the joint-most instances in ODI history.
Abdur Razzak (vs Zimbabwe) and Ntini (vs Pakistan) are the only bowlers to take 10 or more wickets in three separate series against the same opponent.
V. Richards and Pollock are the only two captains to take 10 or more wickets in two different bilateral series.
Best Bowling Averages and Frequent Four-Wicket Hauls
Viv Richards bagged the most wickets as a captain in a single series, fetching 13 wickets against India in 1989. See which captain rules the overall ODI wickets tally.
Colin Croft recorded the lowest bowling average in a series (min. two innings), claiming nine wickets at an average of 2.66 against England in 1981.
Ryan Burl recorded the lowest strike rate, taking eight wickets at 7.5 across two innings against Australia in 2022.
Vasbert Drakes, Razzak, Matt Henry, and Rashid have each taken three four-wicket hauls in a single bilateral series.
Seven bowlers have taken two five-wicket hauls in a single series: Kris Srikkanth (1988), Waqar Younis (1990), Ryan Harris (2010), Brian Vitori (2011), Mitchell Starc (2013), Mustafizur Rahman (2015), and Ben Sears (2025).
