Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka holds the record for the best bowling figures in ODI cricket, having taken 8 wickets for just 19 runs against Zimbabwe in 2001. This incredible performance saw Zimbabwe bowled out for a mere 38 runs – the fourth-lowest total in ODI history. Vaas’ swing and seam movement was too much for the Zimbabweans, as he dismissed six of them via leg before wicket – a joint-record for an ODI match.
Shahid Afridi of Pakistan holds the record for the best bowling figures by a spinner in ODI cricket, with his 7 wickets for 12 runs against West Indies in Guyana. Afridi’s spell of bowling helped Pakistan to dismiss West Indies for just 98 runs, after Pakistan had set a target of 225.
To date, 11 bowlers have picked up a seven-wicket haul in one-day cricket, with players such as Glenn McGrath, Andy Bichel, Tim Southee, and Winston Davis achieving this feat in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup.
Stuart Binny of India holds the record for the best bowling figures by an Indian in ODI cricket, taking 6 wickets for 4 runs against Bangladesh. This performance helped India to bowl out Bangladesh for a mere 58 runs and set the record for the lowest score defended in an ODI match. Binny’s six wickets came in just 28 balls or 4.4 overs.
Anil Kumble of India holds the record for the best bowling figures by an Indian spinner in ODI cricket, taking 6 wickets for 12 runs against West Indies. Ashish Nehra is the only Indian bowler to pick six wickets in an ODI innings twice.
Best bowling figures in ODIs:
| Player | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | Econ | Team | Opposition | Ground | Match Date | Scorecard | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPUJC Vaas | 8.0 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2.37 | Sri Lanka | v Zimbabwe | Colombo (SSC) | 8 Dec 2001 | ODI # 1776 | |
| Shahid Afridi | 9.0 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 1.33 | Pakistan | v West Indies | Providence | 14 Jul 2013 | ODI # 3389 | |
| GD McGrath | 7.0 | 4 | 15 | 7 | 2.14 | Australia | v Namibia | Potchefstroom | 27 Feb 2003 | ODI # 1970 | |
| Rashid Khan | 8.4 | 1 | 18 | 7 | 2.07 | Afghanistan | v West Indies | Gros Islet | 9 Jun 2017 | ODI # 3884 | |
| AJ Bichel | 10.0 | 0 | 20 | 7 | 2.00 | Australia | v England | Gqeberha | 2 Mar 2003 | ODI # 1976 | |
| M Muralidaran | 10.0 | 1 | 30 | 7 | 3.00 | Sri Lanka | v India | Sharjah | 27 Oct 2000 | ODI # 1650 | |
| TG Southee | 9.0 | 0 | 33 | 7 | 3.66 | New Zealand | v England | Wellington | 20 Feb 2015 | ODI # 3607 | |
| TA Boult | 10.0 | 3 | 34 | 7 | 3.40 | New Zealand | v West Indies | Christchurch | 23 Dec 2017 | ODI # 3944 | |
| Waqar Younis | 10.0 | 0 | 36 | 7 | 3.60 | Pakistan | v England | Leeds | 17 Jun 2001 | ODI # 1724 | |
| Aaqib Javed | 10.0 | 1 | 37 | 7 | 3.70 | Pakistan | v India | Sharjah | 25 Oct 1991 | ODI # 685 | |
| Imran Tahir | 9.0 | 0 | 45 | 7 | 5.00 | South Africa | v West Indies | Basseterre | 15 Jun 2016 | ODI # 3747 | |
| WW Davis | 10.3 | 0 | 51 | 7 | 4.85 | West Indies | v Australia | Leeds | 11 Jun 1983 | ODI # 203 | |
| STR Binny | 4.4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.85 | India | v Bangladesh | Mirpur | 17 Jun 2014 | ODI # 3498 | |
| S Lamichhane | 5.1 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 2.12 | Nepal | v P.N.G. | Al Amerat | 10 Sep 2021 | ODI # 4322 | |
| A Kumble | 6.1 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 1.94 | India | v West Indies | Eden Gardens | 27 Nov 1993 | ODI # 858 | |
| BAW Mendis | 8.0 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 1.62 | Sri Lanka | v India | Karachi | 6 Jul 2008 | ODI # 2735 | |
| GJ Gilmour | 12.0 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 1.16 | Australia | v England | Leeds | 18 Jun 1975 | ODI # 31 | |
| Imran Khan | 10.0 | 2 | 14 | 6 | 1.40 | Pakistan | v India | Sharjah | 22 Mar 1985 | ODI # 321 | |
| MF Maharoof | 9.0 | 2 | 14 | 6 | 1.55 | Sri Lanka | v West Indies | Brabourne | 14 Oct 2006 | ODI # 2428 | |
| CEH Croft | 9.0 | 4 | 15 | 6 | 1.66 | West Indies | v England | Kingstown | 4 Feb 1981 | ODI # 115 | |
| Shoaib Akhtar | 9.0 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 1.77 | Pakistan | v New Zealand | Karachi | 21 Apr 2002 | ODI # 1833 | |
| K Rabada | 8.0 | 3 | 16 | 6 | 2.00 | South Africa | v Bangladesh | Mirpur | 10 Jul 2015 | ODI # 3663 | |
| S Lamichhane | 6.0 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 2.66 | Nepal | v U.S.A. | Kirtipur | 12 Feb 2020 | ODI # 4245 | |
| Azhar Mahmood | 10.0 | 2 | 18 | 6 | 1.80 | Pakistan | v West Indies | Sharjah | 19 Oct 1999 | ODI # 1517 | |
| HK Olonga | 8.2 | 3 | 19 | 6 | 2.28 | Zimbabwe | v England | Cape Town | 28 Jan 2000 | ODI # 1551 | |
| SE Bond | 9.0 | 3 | 19 | 6 | 2.11 | New Zealand | v India | Bulawayo | 26 Aug 2005 | ODI # 2273 | |
| JJ Bumrah | 7.2 | 3 | 19 | 6 | 2.59 | India | v England | The Oval | 12 Jul 2022 | ODI # 4424 | |
| BC Strang | 10.0 | 2 | 20 | 6 | 2.00 | Zimbabwe | v Bangladesh | Nairobi (Aga) | 14 Oct 1997 | ODI # 1242 | |
| AD Mathews | 6.0 | 0 | 20 | 6 | 3.33 | Sri Lanka | v India | Colombo (RPS) | 12 Sep 2009 | ODI # 2887 | |
| FH Edwards | 7.0 | 1 | 22 | 6 | 3.14 | West Indies | v Zimbabwe | Harare | 29 Nov 2003 | ODI # 2069 | |
| M Ntini | 9.3 | 4 | 22 | 6 | 2.31 | South Africa | v Australia | Cape Town | 3 Mar 2006 | ODI # 2345 | |
| AA Donald | 9.0 | 0 | 23 | 6 | 2.55 | South Africa | v Kenya | Nairobi (Gym) | 3 Oct 1996 | ODI # 1124 | |
| A Nehra | 10.0 | 2 | 23 | 6 | 2.30 | India | v England | Durban | 26 Feb 2003 | ODI # 1969 | |
| SE Bond | 10.0 | 2 | 23 | 6 | 2.30 | New Zealand | v Australia | Gqeberha | 11 Mar 2003 | ODI # 1986 | |
| Imran Tahir | 6.0 | 1 | 24 | 6 | 4.00 | South Africa | v Zimbabwe | Bloemfontein | 3 Oct 2018 | ODI # 4050 | |
| RJW Topley | 9.5 | 2 | 24 | 6 | 2.44 | England | v India | Lord’s | 14 Jul 2022 | ODI # 4428 | |
| SB Styris | 7.0 | 0 | 25 | 6 | 3.57 | New Zealand | v West Indies | Port of Spain | 12 Jun 2002 | ODI # 1843 | |
| WPUJC Vaas | 9.1 | 2 | 25 | 6 | 2.72 | Sri Lanka | v Bangladesh | Pietermaritzburg | 14 Feb 2003 | ODI # 1950 | |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 10.0 | 0 | 25 | 6 | 2.50 | India | v England | Nottingham | 12 Jul 2018 | ODI # 4014 | |
| Waqar Younis | 10.0 | 1 | 26 | 6 | 2.60 | Pakistan | v Sri Lanka | Sharjah | 29 Apr 1990 | ODI # 627 | |
| Mashrafe Mortaza | 10.0 | 0 | 26 | 6 | 2.60 | Bangladesh | v Kenya | Nairobi (Gym) | 15 Aug 2006 | ODI # 2404 | |
| Rubel Hossain | 5.5 | 0 | 26 | 6 | 4.45 | Bangladesh | v New Zealand | Mirpur | 29 Oct 2013 | ODI # 3423 | |
| Yasir Shah | 9.0 | 0 | 26 | 6 | 2.88 | Pakistan | v Zimbabwe | Harare | 1 Oct 2015 | ODI # 3685 | |
| Naved-ul-Hasan | 8.4 | 1 | 27 | 6 | 3.11 | Pakistan | v India | Jamshedpur | 9 Apr 2005 | ODI # 2237 | |
| CRD Fernando | 8.0 | 0 | 27 | 6 | 3.37 | Sri Lanka | v England | Colombo (RPS) | 13 Oct 2007 | ODI # 2630 | |
| M Kartik | 10.0 | 3 | 27 | 6 | 2.70 | India | v Australia | Wankhede | 17 Oct 2007 | ODI # 2632 | |
| KAJ Roach | 8.3 | 0 | 27 | 6 | 3.17 | West Indies | v Netherlands | Delhi | 28 Feb 2011 | ODI # 3112 | |
| SP Narine | 9.5 | 0 | 27 | 6 | 2.74 | West Indies | v South Africa | Providence | 3 Jun 2016 | ODI # 3739 | |
| HK Olonga | 9.0 | 2 | 28 | 6 | 3.11 | Zimbabwe | v Kenya | Bulawayo | 15 Dec 2002 | ODI # 1920 | |
| JH Davey | 8.3 | 2 | 28 | 6 | 3.29 | Scotland | v Afghanistan | Abu Dhabi | 14 Jan 2015 | ODI # 3576 | |
| MA Starc | 9.0 | 0 | 28 | 6 | 3.11 | Australia | v New Zealand | Auckland | 28 Feb 2015 | ODI # 3617 | |
| BP Patterson | 9.4 | 0 | 29 | 6 | 3.00 | West Indies | v India | Nagpur | 8 Dec 1987 | ODI # 481 | |
| ST Jayasuriya | 9.5 | 0 | 29 | 6 | 2.94 | Sri Lanka | v England | Moratuwa | 20 Mar 1993 | ODI # 818 | |
| BAW Mendis | 9.0 | 0 | 29 | 6 | 3.22 | Sri Lanka | v Zimbabwe | Harare | 28 Nov 2008 | ODI # 2784 | |
| A Dananjaya | 9.0 | 0 | 29 | 6 | 3.22 | Sri Lanka | v South Africa | Colombo (RPS) | 12 Aug 2018 | ODI # 4031 | |
| Waqar Younis | 9.4 | 1 | 30 | 6 | 3.10 | Pakistan | v New Zealand | Auckland | 13 Mar 1994 | ODI # 894 | |
| PD Collingwood | 10.0 | 1 | 31 | 6 | 3.10 | England | v Bangladesh | Nottingham | 21 Jun 2005 | ODI # 2252 | |
| MG Johnson | 10.0 | 1 | 31 | 6 | 3.10 | Australia | v Sri Lanka | Pallekele | 10 Aug 2011 | ODI # 3175 | |
| TA Boult | 10.0 | 1 | 33 | 6 | 3.30 | New Zealand | v Australia | Hamilton | 5 Feb 2017 | ODI # 3832 | |
| Zahoor Khan | 6.3 | 0 | 34 | 6 | 5.23 | U.A.E. | v Ireland | ICCA Dubai | 2 Mar 2017 | ODI # 3844 | |
| SM Pollock | 10.0 | 2 | 35 | 6 | 3.50 | South Africa | v West Indies | East London | 24 Jan 1999 | ODI # 1393 | |
| Abdul Razzaq | 9.5 | 1 | 35 | 6 | 3.55 | Pakistan | v Bangladesh | Dhaka | 25 Jan 2002 | ODI # 1794 | |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | 9.1 | 0 | 35 | 6 | 3.81 | Pakistan | v Bangladesh | Lord’s | 5 Jul 2019 | ODI # 4186 | |
| Shahid Afridi | 10.0 | 0 | 38 | 6 | 3.80 | Pakistan | v Australia | Dubai (DSC) | 22 Apr 2009 | ODI # 2845 | |
| SL Malinga | 7.4 | 0 | 38 | 6 | 4.95 | Sri Lanka | v Kenya | Colombo (RPS) | 1 Mar 2011 | ODI # 3113 | |
| KH MacLeay | 11.5 | 3 | 39 | 6 | 3.29 | Australia | v India | Nottingham | 13 Jun 1983 | ODI # 207 | |
| DW Steyn | 9.0 | 0 | 39 | 6 | 4.33 | South Africa | v Pakistan | Gqeberha | 27 Nov 2013 | ODI # 3440 | |
| IVA Richards | 9.4 | 0 | 41 | 6 | 4.24 | West Indies | v India | Delhi | 23 Oct 1989 | ODI # 582 | |
| CA Soper | 10.0 | 1 | 41 | 6 | 4.10 | P.N.G. | v Hong Kong | Mong Kok | 6 Nov 2016 | ODI # 3802 | |
| AB Agarkar | 9.3 | 1 | 42 | 6 | 4.42 | India | v Australia | Melbourne | 9 Jan 2004 | ODI # 2077 | |
| Umar Gul | 10.0 | 0 | 42 | 6 | 4.20 | Pakistan | v England | The Oval | 17 Sep 2010 | ODI # 3045 | |
| YS Chahal | 10.0 | 0 | 42 | 6 | 4.20 | India | v Australia | Melbourne | 18 Jan 2019 | ODI # 4079 | |
| T Lungameni | 9.0 | 0 | 42 | 6 | 4.66 | Namibia | v P.N.G. | Windhoek | 23 Nov 2022 | ODI # 4482 | |
| DJ Bravo | 10.0 | 1 | 43 | 6 | 4.30 | West Indies | v Zimbabwe | St George’s | 24 Feb 2013 | ODI # 3339 | |
| MA Starc | 10.0 | 2 | 43 | 6 | 4.30 | Australia | v India | Melbourne | 18 Jan 2015 | ODI # 3582 | |
| Mustafizur Rahman | 10.0 | 0 | 43 | 6 | 4.30 | Bangladesh | v India | Mirpur | 21 Jun 2015 | ODI # 3660 | |
| Rashid Khan | 9.3 | 0 | 43 | 6 | 4.52 | Afghanistan | v Ireland | Greater Noida | 17 Mar 2017 | ODI # 3851 | |
| Gulbadin Naib | 9.2 | 0 | 43 | 6 | 4.60 | Afghanistan | v Ireland | Belfast | 21 May 2019 | ODI # 4141 | |
| Waqar Younis | 10.0 | 1 | 44 | 6 | 4.40 | Pakistan | v New Zealand | Sharjah | 13 Nov 1996 | ODI # 1144 | |
| NLTC Perera | 10.0 | 0 | 44 | 6 | 4.40 | Sri Lanka | v Pakistan | Pallekele | 9 Jun 2012 | ODI # 3273 | |
| CR Woakes | 10.0 | 0 | 45 | 6 | 4.50 | England | v Australia | Brisbane | 30 Jan 2011 | ODI # 3091 | |
| JW Hastings | 10.0 | 0 | 45 | 6 | 4.50 | Australia | v Sri Lanka | Dambulla | 31 Aug 2016 | ODI # 3774 | |
| AG Cremer | 10.0 | 0 | 46 | 6 | 4.60 | Zimbabwe | v Kenya | Harare | 13 Oct 2009 | ODI # 2909 | |
| CR Woakes | 8.0 | 0 | 47 | 6 | 5.87 | England | v Sri Lanka | Pallekele | 10 Dec 2014 | ODI # 3565 | |
| A Mishra | 8.5 | 0 | 48 | 6 | 5.43 | India | v Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 3 Aug 2013 | ODI # 3403 | |
| L Klusener | 10.0 | 0 | 49 | 6 | 4.90 | South Africa | v Sri Lanka | Lahore | 6 Nov 1997 | ODI # 1252 | |
| AH Gray | 9.0 | 0 | 50 | 6 | 5.55 | West Indies | v Australia | Port of Spain | 9 Mar 1991 | ODI # 672 | |
| CB Mpofu | 10.0 | 1 | 52 | 6 | 5.20 | Zimbabwe | v Kenya | Nairobi (Gym) | 19 Oct 2008 | ODI # 2768 | |
| JR Hazlewood | 9.0 | 0 | 52 | 6 | 5.77 | Australia | v New Zealand | Birmingham | 2 Jun 2017 | ODI # 3876 | |
| A Dananjaya | 10.0 | 0 | 54 | 6 | 5.40 | Sri Lanka | v India | Pallekele | 24 Aug 2017 | ODI # 3906 | |
| S Sreesanth | 10.0 | 1 | 55 | 6 | 5.50 | India | v England | Indore | 15 Apr 2006 | ODI # 2362 | |
| PR Stirling | 10.0 | 0 | 55 | 6 | 5.50 | Ireland | v Afghanistan | Greater Noida | 17 Mar 2017 | ODI # 3851 | |
| L Ngidi | 10.0 | 0 | 58 | 6 | 5.80 | South Africa | v Australia | Bloemfontein | 4 Mar 2020 | ODI # 4252 | |
| Waqar Younis | 8.0 | 0 | 59 | 6 | 7.37 | Pakistan | v Australia | Nottingham | 19 Jun 2001 | ODI # 1725 | |
| A Nehra | 10.0 | 1 | 59 | 6 | 5.90 | India | v Sri Lanka | Colombo (RPS) | 9 Aug 2005 | ODI # 2268 | |
| TG Southee | 9.2 | 1 | 65 | 6 | 6.96 | New Zealand | v Bangladesh | Dunedin | 20 Feb 2019 | ODI # 4095 |
FAQ’s About the Best bowling figures in ODIs
Q: Who holds the record for the best bowling figures in ODI cricket?
A: As of September 2021, Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas holds the record for the best bowling figures in ODI cricket with his 8/19 against Zimbabwe in 2001.
Q: Who holds the record for the best bowling figures by a spinner in ODI cricket?
A: Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi holds the record for the best bowling figures by a spinner in ODI cricket with his 7/12 against West Indies in Guyana.