Best Bowling Figures for India in ODIs

The Indian national cricket team caused a sensation when they won the 1983 ODI World Cup, beating the mighty West Indies in the final. Since then they’ve gone on to become a major force in the game, and here is a list of the best Indian bowling figures in this format.

Best Bowling Figures by Indian Bowlers

Stuart Binny

He may be an unlikely name at the top of this list, but Stuart Binny leads the way with the incredible bowling figures of 6/4.

The current record came in an ODI against Bangladesh in 2014. Binny ran through Bangladesh’s middle order as they were dismissed for just 58, leaving India to win by 47 runs on the Duckworth Lewis method..

Anil Kumble

The great leg spinner Anil Kumble once took all ten wickets in a test match innings, so it’s less of a surprise to see his name here. Kumble previously held the Indian record with figures of 6/12 which he took in an ODI against the West Indies in 1993.

The Windies were dismissed for 123 and India won the game by 102 runs.

anil-kumble
Anil Kumble

JJ Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah bowls at crucial times in the innings and he’s adept at picking up early wickets. He appears in third place on this list and there’s plenty of time left in his career to climb further.

Bumrah’s best figures in ODIs are the 6/19 which he made against England at the Oval in 2022.

Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah, AFP Photo

Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra was a useful left arm seamer who played in 120 One Day Internationals for India. His best figures in a game came against England during the 2003 World Cup. Nehra returned 6/23 from his full allocation of ten overs.

Ashish Nehra on the left

Kuldeep Yadav

The mystery spinner Kuldeep Yadav makes an appearance with figures of 6/25. England were the opponents once again in a match at Trent Bridge in 2018.

Umesh Yadav
Umesh Yadav appeals for a wicket during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and Pakistan at Edgbaston Cricket Ground. – June 15 2013

Murali Kartik

Many would say that Murali Kartik should have played more times for India. He was a useful slow left arm bowler, but a serious level of competition restricted him to just 46 international appearances.

Kartik was used mainly in ODIs where he played 37 times. In one of those matches, against Australia in 2007, he claimed the exceptional figures of 6/27 as India won by two wickets.

Murali Kartik

AB Agarkar

Ajit Agarkar was an effective seam bowler who seemed well suited to English conditions in particular. He played 191 ODIs for India and finished with an excellent haul of 288 wickets.

Among those victims are a set of best figures of 6/42, claimed from 9.3 overs in a game against Australia at the MCG in 2004.

YS Chahal

Indian leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal also claimed figures of 6/42, but the fact that he bowled a full allocation of ten overs puts him slightly behind Agarkar in eighth place.

In another coincidence, Yuzi’s best in One Day Internationals also came against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The game was played in January 2019 and India emerged as winners by seven wickets.

Conclusion

In the main, the players on this list are very familiar and we should all have expected to see them here. The majority of the records are also fairly new, and that tends to reflect India’s rise up the One Day International rankings.

The only real surprise is to see Stuart Binny at the top. He could, however, be an effective bowler, and he really had a day to remember against Bangladesh in 2014.

The question now is whether any of the current Indian bowlers can break through and improve on this list. Indian bowlers will also want to make some inroads into the overall set of best bowling figures in ODIs.