Australia’s star left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc currently holds the record for taking the fastest 200 wickets in ODI cricket and tops the list. He has taken 200 ODI wickets in just 102 matches. Mitchell Starc was also the leading wicket-taker in 2015 as well as the 2019 ICC World Cup. According to the statistics, Starc is one of the most successful bowlers in Australia in the ODI format.
Mitchell Starc is followed by Pakistani spinner Saqlain Mushtaq known for his ‘doosra’ who is the fastest spinner to take 200 ODI wickets. He completed his 200 ODI wickets in just 104 matches and was one of the most dangerous spinners at that time.
Till date, only 6 players have completed 200 ODI wickets by playing 125 or fewer matches. The toppers in the list comprise players from Australia, Pakistan & South Africa. Three players from Australia – Mitchell Starc (102 matches), Brett Lee (112 matches) & Shane Warne (125 matches). Two players from Pakistan – Saqlain Mushtaq (104 matches) & Waqar Younis (118 matches). One bowler from South Africa – Allan Donald (117 matches).
| S No. | Player | Team | Opposition | Ground | Matches |
| 1 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | v Zimbabwe | Townsville | 102 |
| 2 | Saqlain Mushtaq | Pakistan | v South Africa | Nottingham | 104 |
| 3 | Brett Lee | Australia | v England | The Oval | 112 |
| 4 | Allan Donald | South Africa | v Zimbabwe | Chelmsford | 117 |
| 5 | Waqar Younis | Pakistan | v India | Bengaluru | 118 |
| 6 | Shane Warne | Australia | v Pakistan | Lord’s | 125 |
| 7 | Makhaya Ntini | South Africa | v Australia | Cape Town | 126 |
| 8 | Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | v India | Pallekele | 127 |
| 9 | Mitchell Johnson | Australia | v England | Southampton | 129 |
| 10 | Shoaib Akhtar | Pakistan | v England | Cardiff | 130 |
| 11 | Glenn McGrath | Australia | v India | Indore | 133 |
| 12 | Ajit Agarkar | India | v Bangladesh | Dhaka | 133 |
| 13 | Dareen Gough | England | v India | Lord’s | 134 |
| 14 | Kyle Mills | New Zealand | v South Africa | Auckland | 135 |
| 15 | Craig McDermott | Australia | v Sri Lanka | Melbourne | 136 |
| 16 | Shaun Pollock | South Africa | v India | Centurion | 138 |
| 17 | Abdur Razzak | Bangladesh | v Sri Lanka | Pallekele | 141 |
| 18 | Wasim Akram | Pakistan | v South Africa | East London | 143 |
| 19 | Zaheer Khan | India | v Pakistan | Gwalior | 144 |
| 20 | Curtly Ambrose | West Indies | v Sri Lanka | Port of Spain | 146 |
| 21 | Anil Kumble | India | v Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 147 |
| 22 | Javagal Srinath | India | v Sri Lanka | Sharjah | 147 |
| 23 | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | v India | Sharjah | 147 |
| 24 | James Anderson | England | v India | Chester-le-Street | 148 |
| 25 | Tim Southee | New Zealand | v India | Auckland | 149 |
| 26 | Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | v South Africa | Chattogram | 156 |
| 27 | Mashrafe Mortaza | Bangladesh | v South Africa | Chattogram | 157 |
| 28 | HH Streak | Zimbabwe | v England | Nottingham | 162 |
| 29 | Chaminda Vaas | Sri Lanka | v India | Colombo (RPS) | 163 |
| 30 | Kapil Dev | India | v West Indies | Sharjah | 166 |
FAQs
1. Which bowler holds the record for the fastest 200 wickets in ODI cricket?
Mitchell Starc of Australia holds the record for the fastest 200 wickets in ODI cricket – 102 matches.
2. Who is the fastest Indian to take 200 ODI wickets?
Ajit Agarkar is the fastest Indian to take 200 ODI wickets – 133. He completed his 200 ODI wickets in a match against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
3. Who is the only Zimbabwe player on the list?
HH Streak is the only Zimbabwe player in the list of fastest 200 wickets in ODI cricket.
4. Who is the fastest Bangladesh player to take 200 ODI wickets?
Abdur Razzak is the fastest Bangladeshi player to take 200 ODI wickets – 141. He completed his 200 ODI wickets in a match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele.
