Batters win games but it’s the bowlers who win the championships. Over the years, the game of cricket has transitioned to give an edge to the batters, giving little respite to bowlers. Especially in white-ball cricket, players seem to have acquired the license to smack hard from ball 1. Gone are the days, when batters intended to first show respect to the bowlers and build on resilience as their stay on the pitch progressed. Things might have changed, but bowlers still remain indispensable in the cause for a team’s victory. The dominance of wrist-spinners, the evolution of Yorkers, and slower ones are a testament to the transformation of the art of bowling in shorter formats of the game. To relive the heroics of some of the masters of the 50-over format, we revisit the list of Top 5 bowlers who were fastest to reach 100 wickets in ODI.
The Top 5 bowlers fastest to Reach 100 dismissals in ODI
5. Mustafizur Rahman
The Cutter-Master from Bangladesh features amongst the top premium medium-fast bowlers of modern-day cricket. Mustafizur Rahman shook the world of cricket after his terrific performance in his debut series. His deceptive spells tore the might Indian batting line-up apart. Rahman went on to register successive 5-wicket hauls in his first 2 ODIs, announcing the arrival of a new sensation. Subsequently, he went on to reach the tally of 100 wickets in only 54 ODIs, spearheading the Bangladeshi pace attack in the limited-overs format. Despite multiple injuries halting his run of success time and again, Rahman remains a deadly death-over specialist for his team.
4. Shane Bond
Shane Bond – a name that scared every batter of his generation. Often touted as “New Zealand’s best pacer since Sir Richard Hadlee”, the Kiwi veteran exploited opposition batting line-ups with express pace and control. Unlike most fast bowlers, Bond had great command over his speed, which made the lives of batters helpless. His career was plagued with several injuries and could go on to play only 82 ODIs for NZ. One of the early quicks to click at 150 Kmph, Bond surpassed the 100 wickets mark in only 54 ODIs. He features on the 4th spot and is the only 2nd pacer in the list of top 5 bowlers fastest to reach 100 wickets in ODIs.
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3. Saqlain Mushtaq
The trailblazer of the doosra, Pakistan spin wizard Saqlain Mushtaq features in the 3rd spot of the list of fastest 100 wickets in ODI. In the era of Warne-Muralitharan-Kumble, Mushtaq emerged as another lethal spin threat. His labyrinth of turns always left batters in enigma on the pitch. Credited with inventions of several variations of off-spin, Mushtaq bowled in crunch situations as his spin often turned the tables over in the favour of his side. He was the first spinner to take a hat-trick in an ODI and also hold the records for most wickets in a single calendar year. (69 scalps in 1997). Mushtaq remains the fastest bowler to reach the landmark of 200 and 250 wickets in ODIs. In his 53rd ODI game, the off-spin maestro crossed the tally of 100 dismissals in 50 over format.
2. Mitchell Starc
Mitchell Starc is undoubtedly one of the best fast bowlers of the current generation. The left-arm pacer haunts the batters with raw pace, alongside his lethal bouncers and toe-crushing yorkers. The leading wicket-taker in two consecutive 50 overs in World Cups, Starc has proven persistently why he is one of the best in the business. The Australian icon holds the record of being the fastest speedster to accomplish the milestone 100 wickets in ODIs. He achieved the feat in just 52 innings surpassing Shane Bond.
Read Also: Best Fast Bowlers: Top 10 Greatest Fast Bowlers of All Time
1. Rashid Khan
The Afghan spin chevalier Rashid Khan ranks at 1st in the list of fastest 100 wickets in ODI. The last decade has witnessed the phenomenal rise of players like Rashid Khan. Khan has taken the game forward across a vast expanse. The modern-day spin king Rashid Khan changed the landscape of cricket with his googlies that seldom fail to baffle the batters. His quick bowling action remains a mystery to even the best players of spin, which shows the caliber of a wrist-spinner like Khan. Rashid Khan in 2018 became the youngest cricketer to top the ICC ODI bowler rankings. In his 44th ODI game, Caribbean opener Shai Hope became his 100th prey in ODIs. Khan is not only the fastest but also the youngest bowler to have reached the tally of 100 dismissals in 50 over matches.
Top 5 bowlers fastest to Reach 100 dismissals in ODIs
Rank | Player | Against | Venue | Matches |
1 | Rashid Khan | West Indies | Harare | 44 |
2 | Mitchell Starc | Sri Lanka | Colombo | 52 |
3 | Saqlain Mushtaq | Sri Lanka | Gwalior | 53 |
4 | Shane Bond | England | Adelaide | 54 |
5 | Mustafizur Rahman | Pakistan | Lord’s | 54 |
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