Pakistan’s star right-arm spinner Saqlain Mushtaq currently holds the record for taking the fastest 250 wickets in ODI cricket and tops the list. He has taken 250 ODI wickets in just 138 matches. According to the statistics, Saqlain Mushtaq is one of the most successful spinners in Pakistan in the ODI format.
Saqlain Mushtaq is followed by Australia’s pace battery Brett Lee, the fastest pacer to take 250 ODI wickets. He completed his 250 ODI wickets in just 139 matches and was one of the most dangerous pacers of that time.
Till date, only 4 players have completed 250 ODI wickets by playing 150 or fewer matches. The toppers in the list comprise players from Pakistan, Australia& South Africa. Two players from Pakistan – Saqlain Mushtaq (138 matches) & Waqar Younis (148 games) One bowler from South Africa & Australia. From Australia – Brett Lee (139 games) & South Africa – Allan Donald (148 matches).
| S No. | Player | Team | Opposition | Ground | Matches |
| 1 | Saqlain Mushtaq | Pakistan | v Sri Lanka | Sharjah | 138 |
| 2 | Brett Lee | Australia | v West Indies | Brabourne | 139 |
| 3 | Waqar Younis | Pakistan | v West Indies | Sydney | 148 |
| 4 | Allan Donald | South Africa | v West Indies | Colombo (SSC) | 148 |
| 5 | Shane Warne | Australia | v India | Visakhapatnam | 161 |
| 6 | Glenn McGrath | Australia | v New Zealand | Colombo (SSC) | 161 |
| 7 | Makhaya Ntini | South Africa | v Pakistan | Multan | 162 |
| 8 | Ajit Agarkar | India | v West Indies | Port of Spain | 163 |
| 9 | Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | v Pakistan | Fatullah | 163 |
| 10 | Wasim Akram | Pakistan | v Sri Lanka | Colombo (SSC) | 173 |
| 11 | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | v India | Colombo (RPS) | 174 |
| 12 | Shaun Pollock | South Africa | v Sri Lanka | Bloemfontein | 175 |
| 13 | James Anderson | England | v Sri Lanka | Chester-le-Street | 177 |
| 14 | Zaheer Khan | India | v South Africa | Cape Town | 180 |
| 15 | Javagal Srinath | India | v Australia | Adelaide | 182 |
| 16 | Anil Kumble | India | v Pakistan | Adelaide | 189 |
| 17 | Mashrafe Mortaza | Bangladesh | v Afghanistan | Abu Dhabi | 194 |
| 18 | Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | v South Africa | The Oval | 199 |
| 19 | Chaminda Vaas | Sri Lanka | v England | Perth | 204 |
| 20 | Kapil Dev | India | v New Zealand | Auckland | 218 |
| 21 | Harbhajan Singh | India | v South Africa | Nagpur | 222 |
| 22 | Abdul Razzaq | Pakistan | v Sri Lanka | Dambulla | 234 |
| 23 | Daniel Vettori | New Zealand | v Pakistan | Johannesburg | 245 |
FAQs
1. Which bowler holds the record for the fastest 250 wickets in ODI cricket?
Saqlain Mushtaq of Australia holds the record for the fastest 250 wickets in ODI cricket – 138 matches.
2. Who is the fastest Indian to take 250 ODI wickets?
Ajit Agarkar is the fastest Indian to take 250 ODI wickets – 163. He completed his 250 ODI wickets in a match against West Indies in Port of Spain.
3. Who is the only New Zealand player on the list?
Daniel Vettori is the only New Zealand player on the list of the fastest 250 wickets in ODI cricket.
4. Who is the fastest Bangladesh player to take 250 ODI wickets?
Mashrafe Mortaza is the fastest Bangladeshi player to take 250 ODI wickets – 194. He completed his 250 ODI wickets in a match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.
