Cricket News
5 fastest bowlers to 100 wickets in ODIs
The 2023 Cricket World Cup is approaching its climax, with the excitement and anticipation growing by the day. The race for the semi-finals is heating up, with India and South Africa in prime position to qualify unless they suffer a major collapse. New Zealand, Australia, and Afghanistan are the other contenders for a spot in the last four.
Throughout the 2023 Cricket World Cup, there has been some sensational cricket that has entertained fans to no end. The standard of cricket has been immaculate, and we have seen quite a few records being broken along the way. Today, for example, Shaheen Shah Afridi of Pakistan became one of the fastest bowlers to pick up 100 ODI wickets. Here is a look at the top five fastest bowlers to reach this milestone:
1. Sandeep Lamichhane
Sandeep Lamichhane is the fastest to pick up 100 ODI wickets in terms of games played.
Nepal’s legbreak bowler, Sandeep Lamichhane owns the record for being the fastest bowler to pick up 100 wickets in the 50-over format. The talented 23-year-old got to the landmark in just 42 games. It came against Oman in April this year during the ACC Men’s Premier Cup match and his 100th victim was Adil Shafiq. Overall, he has represented Nepal 51 times since making his debut back in 2018. He has a tally of 112 wickets at a remarkable average of 18.07 with best bowling figures of 6-11.
2. Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan picked up his 100th ODI wicket in just his 44th game
Rashid Khan, one of the best bowlers on the planet picked up his 100th ODI wicket in just his 44th game which was against the West Indies in March 2018. He has since, earned 56 more caps in the format and has a tally of 179 wickets which is simply phenomenal. His average of 20.31 and a strike rate of 28.6 further reflect his utter dominance. He has also played 5 Tests and 82 T20Is for his country, picking up 164 wickets across the two formats. He is currently a part of Afghanistan’s contingent in the ODI World Cup in India.
3. Shaheen Shah Afridi
Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up his 100th ODI wicket today
Shaheen Shah Afridi, playing in his 51st ODI today, knocked off the milestone of 100 ODI wickets. He became the fastest pacer to reach this landmark. His 100th victim was Bangladesh’s Tanzid Hasan, who was trapped in front of the wickets by Afridi in the first over of the match. Shaheen, who is one of the leading bowlers in international cricket, has featured in 27 Tests and 52 T20Is as well in which he has picked up 105 and 64 wickets respectively.
4. Mitchell Starc
Mitchell Starc got to the landmark in his 52nd appearance
Australia’s experienced pacer, Mitchell Starc was a menace even back when he was a young man. He picked up his 100th ODI wicket in just his 52nd game which he played in August 2016. Starc’s 100th victim was Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva. Starc had a poor debut in ODIs (0-51 in 8.5 overs vs India) but turned things around in superb fashion, picking up 11 hauls of four or more wickets on the way to his 100th scalp. In all, Starc has earned 117 ODI caps, returning 227 wickets at an average of 22.89.
5. Saqlain Mushtaq
Saqlain Mushtaq held the record for being the fastest to 100 ODI wickets for a long time
The legendary Saqlain Mushtaq, one of Pakistan’s greatest players, represented his country in 49 Tests and 169 ODIs. He picked up 496 wickets across the two formats and cemented his stature as an all-time great. Mushtaq picked up his 100th ODI wicket in just 53 games and held the record for being the fastest in terms of games for a long period.