Most wickets for Bangladesh in ODIs
Bangladesh made their entry into international cricket way back in 1977. Their first major achievement came in the year 1997 when they won the ICC Trophy and qualified for their first-ever ODI World Cup in 1999 where they ended up beating Pakistan. Since then, the Bangla Tigers have risen in stature in international cricket and have beaten several top nations. They qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in 2015 and later played in the semi-final of the 2017 Champions Trophy as well.
Since 2015, they have lost only two ODI series at home and have beaten top nations such as India, Pakistan and South Africa. They further beat West Indies and South Africa in an ODI series in their respective homes in 2018 and 2022 respectively. The sudden rise in Bangladesh’s performance, especially in limited-overs cricket, is due to several star players who have performed consistently for their team in the past few years. On that note, let’s take a look at the top three leading wicket-takers for Bangladesh in ODIs:
3, Abdur Razzak
The left-arm orthodox bowler made his debut way back in 2004 against Hong Kong and became an integral part of the side in no time. He was a part of Bangladesh’s historic wins against India and South Africa in the 2007 ODI World Cup. Razzak picked 207 wickets in 153 matches at an average of 29.29 and an economy of 4.56. He was the leading wicket-taker for his team in the 2007 ODI World Cup, picking up 13 wickets in nine matches at an average of 26.46.
2. Mashrafe Mortaza
Mashrafe Mortaza made his debut in 2001 and had a 19-year-long career for Bangladesh in ODI cricket. He is ranked second on the list of all-time wicket takers for Bangladesh, with 269 wickets to his name in 218 matches at an average of 32.65 and an economy of 4.86. Mortaza’s most memorable performance with the ball came against India in the 2007 ODI World Cup, where he picked up 4/38 in 9.3 overs and got the Player of the Match award.
1. Shakib Al Hasan
The veteran all-rounder is one of the greatest players ever to play for Bangladesh. He made his debut in 2006 against Zimbabwe and has been a stalwart for his side ever since then. The 35-year-old has the most wickets for Bangladesh in ODIs, with 300 scalps to his name in 227 matches at an average of 28.96 and an economy of 4.45. Shakib’s best bowling performance came against Afghanistan in the 2019 ODI World Cup, where he picked 5/29 in 10 overs helping his side win the match by 62 runs.
The 2019 World Cup was the most memorable tournament for Shakib as he scored 606 runs in eight innings at an average of 86.57 and picked 11 wickets in the tournament.
