Fastest to 100 wickets in ODIs – Shaheen Shah Afridi quicker than Mitchell Starc

Archie Starkey 19 Feb 2025

Rashid Khan is among the quickest to 100 ODI wickets.

So you want to know which ODI talent was the fastest to pick up the 100-wicket milestone?

Well, we have the answers for you – read on to discover the nine fastest players to bring up a century of ODI wickets.

The effectiveness of leg-spin in ODI cricket has never been greater, but which leggy tops the list?

9. Brett Lee – 55 ODIs for 100 wickets

The paceman was renowned for his intimidating bowling as part of a ruthless and hostile Australian attack.

He claimed his 100th victim against England in 2003, dismissing Nick Knight in front of a huge crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and was a crucial part of his country’s formidable 2003 World Cup-winning squad.

Lee once bowled a delivery that clocked 100mph against New Zealand in 2005, making him one of the most feared bowlers in ODI cricket.

=8. Mustafizur Rahman – 54 ODIs for 100 wickets

Bangladesh‘s Rahman developed a reputation for being difficult to play with his variations making him a difficult bowler to pick with the white ball.

He broke onto the scene with back-to-back five-wicket hauls against India and brought up his century of wickets at the Home of Cricket, Lord’s Cricket Ground, in the 2019 World Cup.

Rahman famously bowled a unique ‘slow ball cutter’ that deceived many batters in ODI cricket.

=8. Shane Bond – 54 ODIs for 100 wickets

Bond was one of New Zealand‘s premier fast bowlers with his ability to move the ball while throwing in bullet-like yorkers making him unstoppable in his prime.

Despite an injury-laden career, Bond was vital for the Black Caps in both the 2003 and 2007 World Cups and rapidly took his 100th ODI wicket, dismissing England’s Paul Nixon in 2007.

Bond has also clocked a 100mph delivery and was one of the few bowlers to consistently challenge the 100mph barrier.

6. Saqlain Mushtaq – 53 ODIs for 100 wickets

In 1997, Mushtaq dismissed Sri Lanka’s Aravinda de Silva making him the fastest to reach 100 ODI wickets at the time.

The spinner helped Pakistan win the 1999 ICC Champions Trophy and revolutionised off-spin with his ‘doosra’ delivery bamboozling ODI batters.

Also read: Top 10 highest scores on ODI debut – Matthew Breetzke beats Desmond Haynes’ world record

5. Mitchell Starc – 52 ODIs for 100 wickets

The Australian left-hand quick has the most ODI wickets for an active bowler with 244 to date.

His dependability to deliver unplayable yorkers with the new ball has made him one of the most dangerous players in 50-over cricket – especially in the sub-continent. He dismissed Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva for his 100th ODI wicket in 2016.

Starc was dubbed ‘the best bowler in the world’ following his extensive contribution to Australia’s 2015 World Cup win.

4. Shaheen Shah Afridi – 51 ODIs for 100 wickets

Another relentless left-arm seamer, Afridi has recently become Pakistan’s go-to fast bowler in limited-overs cricket.

His rise onto the scene has been rapid with his 100th wicket of Bangladesh’s Towhid Hridoy in the 2023 World Cup in New Zealand – his ability to dismantle bowling attacks makes him one of the most exciting.

3. Bilal Khan – 49 ODIs for 100 wickets

A key part of the rise of Oman has been Khan who is yet another left-armer that is seemingly among the toughest to face in ODI cricket.

He brought up the 100 wicket milestone against Namibia in 2024 and has been a crucial part of Oman’s development including taking the crucial wicket of Ireland’s Paul Stirling in a historic ODI World Cup qualifier win.

2. Rashid Khan – 44 ODIs for 100 wickets

Khan is one of, if not the most dangerous spinners in ODI cricket with his variations, disguise and famous googlies helping him claim wickets by the bucket load.

He dismissed Shai Hope of the West Indies to bring up his 100th ODI wicket in 2018 in a then record-breaking time and has been the driver of Afghanistan’s meteoric rise in International cricket.

1. Sandeep Lamichhane – 42 ODIs for 100 wickets

The young Nepalese leg spinner took the cricketing world by storm with his immense talent taking him to elite level status.

In 2023, he became the fastest player to claim 100 ODI wickets in just 42 matches after dismissing Ayaan Khan of Oman with his almost unplayable variations.

Nepal’s growth and competition for World Cup qualification have been evident and no doubt Lamichhane’s knack for picking up wickets quickly has helped them reach new heights.