Top 5 fastest Indians to 200 ODI wickets by matches played ft. Mohammed Shami

The ODI format demands bowlers strike a fine balance between an attacking mindset for securing wickets and controlling the run flow.

The ODIs generally have flat pitches to encourage high-scoring games, which puts pressure on bowlers to take wickets without much assistance from the surface. However, some bowlers manage to produce their best in testing conditions and contribute to the team's success.

On Thursday (February 20), Mohammed Shami joined an elite list of players to take more than 200 wickets in the 50-over format. He achieved the feat in India's first Champions Trophy 2025 fixture against Bangladesh in Dubai.

On that note, let's take a look at the five fastest Indian cricketers to reach this milestone.

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#5 Javagal Srinath - 147

Arguably the fastest Indian pacer in the last century, Javagal Srinath reached the 200-wicket mark in his 147th ODI appearance against Sri Lanka in Sharjah in 1998. Riding on Ajay Jadeja's 64-run knock, India managed to post 179 on the board.

Thereafter, Srinath went past the defense of Sanath Jayasuriya (0) in only the first over. In the 13th over, the right-arm speedster dismissed captain Arjuna Ranatunga (9). He finished the game with figures of 2/20 off eight overs, as Sri Lanka were all-out for 98 and lost by 81 runs.

Srinath ended his ODI career with 315 wickets in 229 games in 2003.

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#4 Anil Kumble - 147

Anil Kumble holds the record for picking up the most wickets by an Indian player across all formats with 956 scalps in 403 games. Kumble reached the 200-wicket mark in ODIs against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 1998.

Kumble finished with figures of 1/51 off 10 overs in the game, while dismissing Gary Brent (0), as the hosts compiled a 213-run total. In response, Sachin Tendulkar (127*) was the top-scorer for India, as they sealed the chase in the 43rd over.

Kumble went on to take a total of 337 wickets in 271 ODI games, while last appearing for the Men in Blue in 2007.

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#3 Zaheer Khan - 144

The left-arm speedster, Zaheer Khan is third on the list after he reached his 200th ODI wicket in his 144th appearance. He reached the milestone against Pakistan in Gwalior in 2007.

Batting first, Pakistan lost Salman Butt (0) early, but captain Shoaib Malik was steering them well. In the 20th over, Zaheer managed to breach the defense of Malik (31). In the end, he dismissed Sohail Tanvir (6) to finish with figures of 2/40 off 10 overs, as the visitors posted 255.

Sachin Tendulkar (97) played a key role in helping the Men in Blue chase down the score in under 47 overs.

Zaheer Khan finished his ODI career with 282 wickets in 200 matches. Notably, he was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the 2011 World Cup with 21 wickets and helped India to secure a title victory.

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#2 Ajit Agarkar - 133

The current chairman of BCCI's Senior Men's Selection Committee, Ajit Agarkar achieved the elusive feat in his 133rd ODI appearance. The fixture witnessed India clashing against Bangladesh in 2004 in Dhaka.

Agarkar dismissed Mohammad Rafique (0) and Habibul Bashar (17) to finish with figures of 2/31 off nine overs. The Tigers posted a modest total of 229 on the board. In response, Sridharan Sriram (57) was the top-scorer for India, as they were all-out for 214 and lost by 15 runs.

Ajit Agarkar played his last ODI game in 2007, finishing with 288 scalps in 191 games.

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#1 Mohammed Shami - 104

Mohammed Shami is the most successful bowler for India in ICC events. In only the first game of the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh, Shami returned with exceptional performances and continued his supreme performances in the showpiece events.

Shami opened the floodgates for India by dismissing Soumya Sarkar (0) in the first over. He then dismissed Mehidy Hasan Miraz (5), Jaker Ali (68), Tanzim Hasan Sakib (68), and Taskin Ahmed (3) to finish with figures of 5/53 off 10 overs. In the process, he became the fastest Indian bowler to pick up 200 ODI wickets.

Shami is the second-fastest overall after Mitchell Starc (102) and Saqlain Mushtaq (104) to reach the landmark. Interestingly, he has taken the fewest balls (5,126) to reach 200 ODI wickets, breaking Starc's record of 5,240 balls.