Over the long and storied history of ODI cricket, several bowlers have managed to carve niches for themselves as out-and-out wicket-takers.
Waqar Younis, one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, is the man with the most five-wicket hauls in men's ODIs (13). Muttiah Muralitharan is the only other name to have reached double figures, with 10 to his name.
Among Indians, only three bowlers have recorded three five-wicket hauls in ODIs. The latest entrant on this list, Mohammed Shami, achieved the feat in the Men in Blue's ongoing World Cup 2023 clash against New Zealand. The pacer entered the playing XI after an injury to Hardik Pandya forced the hosts to improve their bowling attack.
On that note, we take a look at the three Indian bowlers who have registered three five-wicket hauls in ODI cricket.
#3 Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh is one of the greatest bowlers India have ever produced, so it's no surprise that he features on this list.
The off-spinner, who won the 2011 World Cup under MS Dhoni's leadership, picked up 269 wickets in 236 ODIs at an average of 33.35 and an economy rate of 4.31. Over the course of those matches, he also recorded three five-fers, with best figures of 5/31 against England.
Harbhajan played his last ODI for India against South Africa in 2015 and has been involved in other cricket-related ventures since announcing his retirement from all formats in December 2021.
#2 Javagal Srinath
A man who was arguably ahead of his time, especially in Indian cricket circles, Javagal Srinath is one of the fastest bowlers the country has ever produced and undoubtedly one of the best in ODIs.
Srinath scalped a whopping 315 wickets in 229 ODIs, often single-handedly carrying the Indian attack. He averaged a decent 28.08, with his economy rate of 4.44 reflecting his value to the side. The express quick also recorded three five-wicket hauls, with best figures of 5/23.
Srinath is one of the most accomplished match referees in the history of cricket, having taken up that career since hanging up his playing boots.
#1 Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami became the latest entrant on this list with a fantastic bowling display against New Zealand in Match 21 of the 2023 World Cup on Sunday, October 22 in Dharamsala.
Shami, who hasn't been a regular member of India's first-choice playing XI, replaced Shardul Thakur and immediately made an impact. He became the first Indian bowler to record multiple five-fers in World Cups, taking his overall ODI tally to three.
Shami has picked up 176 wickets over the course of his 95-match ODI career, a number that is bound to grow in the coming weeks. The fast bowler could play a more integral role in India's plans going forward, having already established himself as the country's third-highest wicket-taker in World Cup history.
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