One Day International (ODI) cricket was first introduced in 1971 as Australia faced England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). At first, it was a 60-over-per-side match. Meanwhile, the cricket world cup was introduced first in 1974 after the limited-overs format introduced in 1971. West Indies were the first team to lift the limited-overs ICC trophy in the inaugural edition. However, it soon changed and became a 50 over per side game. Time fills and many teams had lifted the ODI trophy in different ICC tournaments rather than ICC World Cup like Champions Trophy started in 1998.

The performers on the biggest stage can make one a hero or villain in front of fans, depending upon the outcome. The ODI fixture of 2023 was a bit hectic compared to other years because of cricket's biggest festival, the 13th edition of the ODI Cricket World Cup which was recently played in India. It's time, we look at the players who have picked up the Most ODI Wickets in 2023 in this article of SportzPoint.

Also Read: Most ODI Runs in 2023

Top Three Bowlers with Most ODI Wickets in 2023

Kuldeep Yadav is if not best but one of the best spin bowlers in the world right now. He has already amassed 167 international wickets. Yadav showed his marvelous skills in the Asia Cup 2023, which earned him the Man of the Series award. Then he picked up 15 wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 to help India reach the final. The wrist spinner has picked up 48 wickets in just 27 innings in 2023 for India in the ODI format.

Siraj is considered to be one of the best fast bowlers in the world right now. He is also ranked third in the ICC ODI bowler's ranking right now. Siraj made his debut in 2017 and has since become an integral part of the Indian bowling attack. Since then, he has shown consistent improvement in his performance and has established himself as a key player for the Indian team. Mohammed Siraj took 10 wickets and finished as the 2nd highest wicket-taker in the Asia Cup 2023. He then picked up 14 wickets in the World Cup 2023. To sum up, Mohammed Siraj has picked up 44 wickets in 24 innings in 2023.

Mohammed Shami was India's most important bowling asset in the recently played World Cup 2023. At first, he was not but he rebuilt his stature and gave his everything in the competition. Shami came, saw, and conquered. It was unfortunate that India couldn't lift the ultimate prize but Shami will be remembered surely as an Indian Bowling Legend. The veteran pacer picked up 24 wickets in just 7 matches to help India reach the Final with a dominant run.

After playing second fiddle to Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in the first four matches of the World Cup, Shami dazzled onto the scene once given the opportunity. He was called into the side after Hardik Pandya's injury and gave it all. Shami is likely to receive the 2023 Arjuna Award after a spectacular year with 43 wickets.

Top Ten Bowlers with Most ODI Wickets in 2023

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a tournament where batsmen dominate more. But, in the history of the cash-rich league, there have been many bowlers who fool the batsmen with their clever bowling and deprive them of scoring runs by bowling dot balls.

Fast cricket is being seen in every season of IPL, where batsmen hit a lot of fours and sixes. On the other hand, bowlers seem helpless most of the time. To get out of this situation, you need to have bowlers who can control the run flow of the opposition team by bowling dot balls.

Also Read: IPL facts: Every player to make IPL debut before turning 18

In this article, we will be discussing about the top 10 bowlers with most dot balls bowled in IPL history.

Most Dot Balls Bowled in IPL

10. Amit Mishra | 1191

Amit Mishra has been among the top wicket-takers in the IPL. He is also the only bowler to take three hat-tricks in IPL history.

The experienced leg spinner has outfoxed batters with his flighted deliveries and leg breaks. Mishra was in his prime in the initial seasons of the league, taking heaps of wickets. Over the years, Mishra has bowled 1191 dot balls in 162 games while picking up 174 wickets. 

9. Umesh Yadav | 1203

Umesh Yadav has sent down 1203 dot balls in his IPL career. The right-arm fast bowler grabbed everyone’s attention with his quick pace. He then showcased his ability in the IPL, making his debut for Delhi in 2010. Yadav can move the ball in and out while hitting above 135 kmph consistently.

Thus far, the Vidarbha bowler has represented four teams and took 144 wickets in 148 matches.

8. Harbhajan Singh | 1268

Harbhajan Singh delivered 1268 dot balls in his 163-match IPL career. The former off-spinner was a crucial member of Mumbai Indians (MI) for 10 seasons between 2008 and 2017. He played a major role in Mumbai winning the league three times, especially in 2013, when he racked up 24 wickets. 

Harbhajan then moved to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), playing his last game in 2021. Harbhajan got the better of batters with his varying length and pace while using his off-spin tricks. He took 150 wickets in 160 appearances at an economy rate of 7.08.

7. Yuzvendra Chahal | 1272

Yuzvendra Chahal is the most successful bowler in IPL history, sitting at the top of the wicket chart. The leg spinner has bagged 214 wickets in 168 matches while giving away 7.90 runs per over. On top of that, Chahal has delivered 1272 dot balls in the league. 

What makes his achievement special is he bowled most of his overs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where batters find it easy to score runs. Despite that, the leggie put up a break on run scoring, which is evident from his numbers.

6. Ravindra Jadeja | 1273

One of the best all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja has kept batters calm with his accurate bowling. The elite left-arm spinner bowls wicket-to-wicket, not giving much room to batters to score runs.

This has resulted in him bowling 1273 dot deliveries in 219 innings. Jadeja also boasts 165 wickets at an economy of 7.65 while representing four teams.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Best Economy in IPL Since 2024

5. Jasprit Bumrah | 1301

Jasprit Bumrah’s rise in world cricket is phenomenal. The right-arm pacer came to the IPL in 2013 and turned everyone’s heads around with his unorthodox slingy action. Thanks to his exploits in the league, Bumrah soon entered the Indian team, emerging as one of the greatest fast bowlers from the country. 

Mumbai Indians scouts unearthed the rookie talent, who has been playing for them ever since. Bumrah’s awkward release point makes it hard for batters to play him, helping him put a lid on run scoring. Thus far, he has fired down the fifth-most dot balls, with 1301 dots in 137 innings while adding 169 wickets at an economy rate of 7.30.

4. Piyush Chawla | 1337

One of the most successful bowlers in IPL history, India's dangerous leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has bowled 1337 dot balls in the tournament. He has managed to secure the fourth position in this list.

Additionally, with an impressive economy rate of 7.96 and an excellent bowling average of 26.6, Chawla holds the record for taking the second-highest number of wickets (192) in the history of the tournament.

3. Ravichandran Ashwin | 1606

India's experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is third on this list with 1606 dot balls in 215 IPL innings. His economy in the league is impressive at 7.19 and he has also taken 4 wickets once.

Ashwin captained the Punjab Kings franchise for two seasons and played for Delhi Capitals in the 2020 and 2021 seasons and is currently playing for Chennai Super Kings. He has taken 185 wickets in an average of 30.23.

2. Sunil Narine | 1651

West Indies mystery spinner Sunil Narine made his IPL debut in 2012. Since then, this star all-rounder has been an important player for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Batters often find it hard to navigate his mystery spin, resulting in fewer runs and more wickets.

In the history of IPL, Narine has bowled 1651 dot balls and he is second on this list. Narine has taken a total of 187 wickets in 181 IPL innings.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Lowest Total Defended in IPL

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 1736

India's experienced right-arm fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes first in the list of most dot balls bowled in IPL history. Bhuvi, who has the ability to swing the new ball both ways, has bowled 1736 dot balls in the cash-rich league. 

Bhuvi started playing in the IPL in 2011 with Pune Warriors before moving to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2014. Since then, he has shown his incredible control over the ball, often putting a break on the run flow of the batting sides. He will now represent Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2025 season.

The Indian fast bowler has taken 189 wickets in 183 innings at an average of 27.14 and an economy of 7.57.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Central Contract for the 2025-26 season on Monday, 21st April 2025. 7 new players were added to the contract, while players like Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan returned to the list after missing out last time.

Last year, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were left out of the BCCI central contract after opting out of the domestic games for their respective state teams. BCCI's focus on domestic cricket left them out of the central contract despite being part of the Indian team set up a few months ago.

But, this time, both the Indian batters were added to the contract after Iyer won everything in the domestic cricket last season, along with lifting the IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders. Ishan Kishan also played through the entire domestic season and has been rewarded with the contract too. 

Read Also | "Mere Sath Kyun?.:" Ishan Kishan breaks silence on Team India exit and Central Contract termination

Talking points from the BCCI Central Contract 2025

Rohit and Kohli stay in Grade A+ 

Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remained in the Grade A+ category despite retiring from the T20I format. Rohit and Virat had announced their retirement from the shortest format of the game after lifting the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies. 

Ravindra Jadeja is another name who has been listed in the A+ category despite retiring from the T20Is after the World Cup victory.

Bumrah is the only all-format player in A+

With Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja retiring from the shortest format of the game, Jasprit Bumrah remains the only all-format player to be in the A+ category of the BCC Central Contract 2025.

Pant is promoted to the Grade A category

Rishabh Pant received a promotion to the A category after being in the B category last year. Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami are the other names in the A category, who were already there in last year's contract. 

Ravi Ashwin has been left out of the contract since he retired from international cricket.

Iyer listed in grade B; Kishan in grade C

Shreyas Iyer, who was left out of the contract last year, has been included in the Grade B, while Ishan Kishan has been listed in the Grade C. 

Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the other names in Grade B, who were there last time as well. 

New 7 names in Grade C

7 new players have been added to the BCCI Central Contract 2025. All of these players found themselves in Grade C. 

Dhruv Jurel, Sarafraz Khan, Nitish Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Akash Deep are the players who received the contract for their performances in the last season. 

Not to be confused, Akash Deep earlier had a fast bowling contract and this year received the central contract after doing well in the Test format. 

Shardul Thakur, Jitesh Sharma, KS Bharath, Avesh Khan, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa have been left out of the contract this year.

Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa were all part of the fast bowling contract last season. 

BCCI Central Contract 2025

BCCI announces annual player retainership 2024-25 - Team India (Senior Men) 💙🤝#Bcci #IndianCricket #Viratkohli #RohitSharma #jaspritbumrah #Shreyasiyer #KlRahul #HardikPandya #Ipl2025 pic.twitter.com/LSmlg06QOS

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) April 21, 2025

As Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru prepare to face off at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai today, all eyes will be on the bowlers who could make the difference in this high-stakes encounter. 

Now Mumbai Indians will get a boost as Jasprit Bumrah returns for their MI vs RCB clash. The pacer, sidelined since India’s final Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January due to a back injury, also missed the Champions Trophy and IPL’s early matches. Now fit, the 31-year-old is set for his season debut.

Also Read: Most Wickets in IPL as a Captain

So, before start of the MI vs RCB IPL 2025 match, let's take a look at the bowlers with most wickets against RCB in IPL.

MI vs RCB: Most Wickets against RCB in IPL

5. Ravichandran Ashwin | 26 Wickets

Ravichandran Ashwin is the fifth-highest wicket-taker against Royal Challengers Bengaluru among the active bowlers and sixth overall. The veteran spinner has enjoyed bowling for this team, and his spell in the finals of the 2011 season while playing for CSK helped Chennai win the tournament. 

Overall, Ashwin has played 31 games against RCB and taken 26 wickets at a brilliant economy rate of 7.12 and a best of 3/16. His bowling average is 28.03 against them.

The 38-year-old is still active in the IPL. He is representing his inaugural season team, the Chennai Super Kings, in the ongoing season.

4. Ravindra Jadeja | 26 Wickets

Ravindra Jadeja has played 34 matches against RCB and bowled 594 deliveries, taking 26 wickets at an impressive average of 28.38. His economy and control in the middle overs make him a key weapon, especially at spin-friendly venues.

With the bat, Jadeja has also been impactful. He batted in 27 innings, scoring 383 runs. Though not always at the top of the order, he has been a reliable lower middle-order batter. His highest score against RCB is 62*, and he averages 23.93 with a strike rate of 128.95.

3. Sandeep Sharma | 27 Wickets

Sandeep Sharma is an important member of RR’s bowling unit. The veteran pacer matched the performance of Trent Boult with the new ball and then also restricted the batters in the final overs. 

The veteran pacer has played just 19 innings against Royal Challengers Bengaluru until now. He has picked up a total of 27 wickets at an economy rate of 8.17. If he can take three wickets in the coming game, he will become the leading wicket-taker against RCB. His best figure against RCB is 3/15.

Sandeep has enjoyed bowling against RCB and its batters. He has also dismissed Virat Kohli seven times in the IPL.

Also Read: IPL facts: Players to play 100 IPL matches for each team

2. Sunile Narine | 27 Wickets

Having made his IPL debut in 2012, Sunile Narine has an incredible bowling average of 20.57 against RCB. He has played 22 IPL matches for KKR against RCB and has taken a phenomenal 27 wickets. His economy rate is a brilliant 6.69, which only adds to his reputation as one of the most dangerous bowlers in the league.

With the bat, Narine also has an exceptional strike-rate of 180.97 against RCB in the IPL. He has hammered 333 runs from 13 innings at 30.27 in this regard. His tally includes 35 fours and 23 sixes.

1. Jasprit Bumrah | 29 Wickets

In 19 matches against the Rajat Patidar-led side, Jasprit Bumrah has scalped 29 wickets at an average of 19.03 and an economy rate of 7.45. His best performance came just last season at the Wankhede, where he dismantled the RCB batting lineup with a sensational 5/21.

Notably, the last time Bumrah missed an entire IPL season was in 2023 due to injury. He returned in 2024 with a bang, playing 13 matches and bagging 20 wickets for the franchise. Across his IPL career, the India pacer has featured in 133 matches, claiming 165 wickets and establishing himself as one of the most consistent fast bowlers in the league.

Bumrah's return is particularly significant given his stellar record against RCB.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 Match 8 tonight at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

This is Koushik Biswas, with all the LIVE Updates for you from the web desk.

Five-time champions CSK commenced their IPL 2025 campaign with a dominating 4-wicket victory over arch-rivals Mumbai Indians. On the other hand, RCB salvaged a famous 7-wicket win against defending IPL champions KKR in the opening game of the season.

Read Also | 9 Facts from CSK vs RCB Clash That Might Surprise You

As two of the most iconic franchises are about to take on each other tonight at Chepauk, sit back and relax as we start the live coverage of the CSK vs RCB match for you. Keep refreshing the page for all the latest updates.

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