Spinners make a bowling unit complete, be it in any given format or any condition. A quality spinner is a necessity for any side just because of the sheer impact they have on the opposition.
Ideally, in ODIs, a spinner plays a vital role for the respective bowling unit by giving breakthroughs in the middle overs while also keeping things tight in that phase. In this way, pressure is created on the batsman, which leads to the pacers coming in at later stages to finish the proceedings.
Let us see the players who have done this role to perfection over the years and have been successful. Here are the top 10 wicket-takers among spinners in the ODI format.
Most Wickets by Spinners in ODI
| Player | Innings | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) | 341 | 534 |
| Shahid Afridi (PAK) | 372 | 395 |
| Anil Kumble (IND) | 271 | 337 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | 368 | 323 |
| Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) | 241 | 317 |
| Daniel Vettori (NZ) | 277 | 305 |
| Shane Warne (AUS) | 191 | 293 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq (PAK) | 165 | 288 |
| Harbhajan Singh (IND) | 227 | 269 |
| Ravindra Jadeja (IND) | 196 | 231 |
Key insights from the above stats
8: The number of players featured from the sub-continent teams. Shane Warne and Daniel Vettori are the only 2 spinners from non-Asian countries.
3: India has the maximum number of representations in the top 10 wicket-takers when it comes to spinners. Sri Lanka and Pakistan, on the other hand, have 2 players each.
48: The number of spinners who have taken 100 or more wickets in ODI cricket. The number shrinks to 11 when we take into the spinners who have taken 200 or more wickets. Adil Rashid (199) is just a wicket shy of reaching the milestone.
534: Sri Lankan legend Muralidaran, aside from most by any bowler in ODIs).
