{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Wasim Akram's 502-Wicket Haul Still Stands After Two Decades, Here Are ODI Cricket's Top 5 Left-Arm Wicket-Takers",
  "summary": "Wasim Akram still tops the list of the most successful left-arm bowlers in ODI history, and his tally of 502 wickets has remained unbeaten for 23 years.",
  "content": "When a left-arm bowler runs in with the new ball or grips a spinning delivery, batters have historically found themselves under real pressure. Across the history of One Day International cricket, a handful of left-arm bowlers have used swing, spin and pinpoint control to climb to the top of the wicket-taking charts, and the bowler who leads that list has held his record for 23 years now, with no active left-armer anywhere close to it. Here is a countdown of the five most successful left-arm bowlers in ODI history, starting from number five.\n\nNo. 5, Daniel Vettori, the master of subtle variations\nNew Zealand's Daniel Vettori built his reputation as one of the smartest finger spinners the game has seen. Across a career that ran from 1997 to 2015, he played 295 matches for New Zealand as well as the ICC World XI and picked up 305 wickets. Vettori never relied on sharp turn; instead, he deceived batters by constantly changing his pace and the flight he gave the ball. His economy rate of just 4.12 shows how difficult he was to score off.\n\nNo. 4, Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh's greatest all-rounder\nBangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan is regarded as one of the finest all-rounders of the modern era. Between 2006 and 2023, he played 247 ODIs and took 317 wickets, with his best figures reading 5 for 29. Shakib's biggest strength was his variety and cricketing intelligence, knowing exactly which ball to bowl and when, backed by an economy rate of 4.46. His ability to tie down opposition batters on pitches across the world gave Bangladeshi cricket a new identity.\n\nNo. 3, Sanath Jayasuriya, an explosive opener who could also strangle batters with the ball\nFormer Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya is remembered mainly as a fearsome opening batter, but his left-arm orthodox spin was every bit as effective. He bowled in 368 innings across 445 matches and dismissed 323 batters, with a best of 6 for 29. Jayasuriya was especially known for breaking up big partnerships in the middle overs with tight lines and lengths.\n\nNo. 2, Chaminda Vaas, holder of the best bowling figures in ODI history\nSri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas built his game on accuracy and the ability to swing the ball both ways rather than raw pace. Playing for Sri Lanka and the Asia XI between 1994 and 2008, he took 400 wickets in 322 matches at an economy rate of just 4.18. Vaas also owns the best bowling figures in ODI history, taking 8 wickets for just 19 runs, a record that remains unbroken to this day.\n\nNo. 1, Wasim Akram, the first bowler to reach 500 ODI wickets\nPakistan's Wasim Akram is known across the cricketing world as the Sultan of Swing. Across a career that stretched from 1984 to 2003, he bowled in 351 innings across 356 matches, sending down more than 18,000 deliveries. He took 502 wickets at an average of 23.52 and became the first bowler in ODI history to cross the 500-wicket mark, with his best figures reading 5 for 15. His mastery of reverse swing off the old ball, combined with a sudden yorker, regularly forced even the greatest batters onto the back foot. That record, set more than two decades ago, still stands today, and no left-arm bowler currently playing looks close to challenging it.\n\nEach of these five bowlers troubled batters in his own way and in his own era, but when it comes to sheer volume of wickets, Wasim Akram remains well clear at the top, and his record shows no sign of falling anytime soon.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Who has taken the most wickets in ODI cricket?\nPakistan's Wasim Akram has taken the most ODI wickets, with a tally of 502.\n\n2. How long has Wasim Akram's record stood?\nHis record has remained unbroken for 23 years.\n\n3. Who holds the best bowling figures in ODI history?\nSri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas holds the best figures in ODI history, taking 8 wickets for 19 runs.\n\n4. What is Sanath Jayasuriya best known for?\nJayasuriya is mainly known as an explosive opening batter, but he also took 323 wickets with his left-arm spin.\n\n5. How many ODI wickets has Shakib Al Hasan taken?\nShakib Al Hasan has taken 317 wickets in 247 ODI matches.\n\n6. What was Daniel Vettori's economy rate?\nDaniel Vettori's ODI career economy rate was 4.12.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/cricket/wasim-akram-ka-502-viketa-vala-rikorda-aja-bhi-atuta-janen-topa-5-lephta-arma-gendabajon-ki-lista-29332",
  "category": "Cricket",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-08",
  "tags": [
    "Wasim Akram",
    "Chaminda Vaas",
    "Sanath Jayasuriya",
    "Shakib Al Hasan",
    "Daniel Vettori",
    "ODI cricket records",
    "left-arm bowlers"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}