Most five-wicket hauls in World Cup

Cricket fans have witnessed some excellent bowling spells in ODI World Cups that have stood the test of time. Over the years, many bowlers have enthralled fans as well as critics with their skills. However, did you know which bowler has taken the most number of five-fors in ODI World Cups? It is none other than Australia’s talismanic pacer Mitchell Starc.

The 33-year-old has picked up three five-fors across as many editions of the marquee event. In the 2015 World Cup, Starc picked up five wickets for the first time. He ended up with a figure of 6/28 against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in Auckland. This remains the left-arm seamer’s best figures in ODI World Cup history. He finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker in that tournament and helped Australia win a record-extending fifth title. In the eight games, Starc finished with 22 wickets at 10.18.

The 2019 edition of the World Cup was not as fruitful for the ‘Men in Yellow’ but Starc once again showed his class. In 10 matches, the Sydney-born scalped 27 wickets at 18.59. He picked up a couple of five-fors in this edition of the World Cup, which was held in England and Wales. Against the West Indies, he finished with figures of 5/46 before haunting the Kiwis once again by bagging five wickets for 26 runs.

Starc has played 24 World Cup matches so far in his career. He has picked up 56 wickets at an incredible average of 18.37 and a strike rate of 21.80. He bowls the difficult overs for Australia but his economy rate of 5.04 shows how well he adapts against the powerful hitters in modern-day cricket. Starc also ended with four wickets on three instances in the showpiece event.

So far, in the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup, the experienced campaigner has not hit his straps, having picked up seven wickets in six matches at 43.29. However, Australian fans won’t be too concerned as a player of his calibre could set the stage on fire at any moment.