Dubai: Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami became the fastest Indian bowler to pick 200 wickets in men’s ODIs when he clinched 5-53 in the 2025 Champions Trophy Group A match against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.
Ahead of the match, skipper Rohit Sharma had said he wasn’t bothered by Shami’s picking just one ODI wicket in the two matches he played against England earlier this month and expressed confidence in him delivering for the team on a big occasion.
Rohit’s words were made true by Shami when he got his 200th ODI scalp in the form of Jaker Ali, who toe-ended a slog off a wide slower ball to long-on in the 43rd over. It meant Shami reached the milestone in 104 matches, overtaking current chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s record of reaching the 200 wickets mark in 133 matches.
Shami, 34, is also the second-quickest to pick 200 men’s ODI wickets, where he’s tied with former Pakistan spinner and head coach Saqlain Mushtaq. The leader in this list is Australia’s left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, who did it in 102 matches.
Shami is also the quickest ever bowler to reach 200 men’s ODI wickets in terms of balls bowled, which stands at 5126 deliveries, ahead of Starc’s 5240 balls. His figures of 5-53 also made it the sixth five-for in men’s ODIs and fifth in an ICC 50-over tournament for India.
Only seven bowlers in the world have taken more five-wicket hauls in ODIs than Shami, who has the most five-fors for an Indian bowler in the format. He has also overtaken India’s iconic left-arm fast-bowler Zaheer Khan to become India’s leading wicket-taker in 50-over ICC events, with 60 scalps coming in just 19 innings.
Shami was the highest wicket-taker in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup, as India finished as runners-up on home soil. After nearly a year’s absence due to an ankle injury needing surgery, Shami made a successful return to international cricket earlier this year and the relief on his face was evident when he completed a great five-wicket haul against Bangladesh in Dubai.
(IANS)
