A bowler picking up a five-wicket haul in an ODI match is something we don’t see quite often, isn’t it? But we have seen bowlers use clever tactics, bagging four or more wickets several times to change the momentum of the game.
Taking a bunch of wickets in a game requires bowlers to have top-notch skills and the ability to adapt to conditions. And it’s more of a challenge in limited-overs matches where batters are always in destruction mode.
But despite the odds, many bowlers have delivered brilliant spells to take a lot of four-wicket hauls. This article will list the bowlers who have taken four or more wickets the most times in ODI cricket.
Most 4+ Wicket Hauls in ODI
| Player | Innings | 4+ Wickets | Total Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waqar Younis (PAK) | 258 | 27 | 416 |
| Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) | 341 | 25 | 534 |
| Brett Lee (AUS) | 217 | 23 | 380 |
| Wasim Akram (PAK) | 351 | 23 | 502 |
| Mitchell Starc (AUS) | 127 | 21 | 244 |
| Lasith Malinga (SL) | 220 | 19 | 338 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq (PAK) | 165 | 17 | 288 |
| Shaun Pollock (SA) | 297 | 17 | 393 |
| Mohammed Shami (IND) | 107 | 16 | 206 |
| Trent Boult (NZ) | 113 | 16 | 211 |
Key Insights
27: Instances when Waqar Younis picked up four or more wickets in ODI cricket, the most by any bowler. The former Pakistan fast bowler ed 27 four-wicket hauls in 258 innings.
13: Younis has also bagged the most five-wicket hauls in ODIs, with 13 fifers to his name. Muthiah Muralitharan is the only other bowler to have 10 or more fifers.
534: Wickets taken by Muralitharan are the most by a bowler in 50-over cricket. Wasim Akram is the only other bowler with 500-plus wickets in the format.
17: Instances of Akram taking exactly four wickets, the most by a bowler in ODIs. Overall, the former Pakistani pacer racked up 23 four-plus wicket hauls.
41: Bowlers have picked up 10 or more four-plus wicket hauls in ODI cricket, with seven hailing from Pakistan, the most from a team.
