Best Bowling Figures by Off Spinners in ODI
This article will discover a comprehensive statistical breakdown of the best bowling figures by off-spinners in ODI cricket, featuring historic spells, debut masterpieces, and record-breaking career hauls.
Best Bowling Figures by Off-Spinners in ODIs
| Player | Bowling Figures (Overs) | Economy | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | 7/30 (10.0) | 3.00 | India | Sharjah | 27 Oct 2000 |
| Ajantha Mendis (SL) | 6/13 (8.0) | 1.62 | India | Karachi | 6 Jul 2008 |
| AM Ghazanfar (AFG) | 6/26 (6.3) | 4.00 | Bangladesh | Sharjah | 6 Nov 2024 |
| Sunil Narine (WI) | 6/27 (9.5) | 2.74 | South Africa | Providence | 3 Jun 2016 |
| Ajantha Mendis (SL) | 6/29 (9.0) | 3.22 | Zimbabwe | Harare | 28 Nov 2008 |
| Akila Dananjaya (SL) | 6/29 (9.0) | 3.22 | South Africa | Colombo (RPS) | 12 Aug 2018 |
| Aryan Dutt (NED) | 6/34 (9.0) | 3.77 | Namibia | Kirtipur | 19 Feb 2024 |
| Akila Dananjaya (SL) | 6/54 (10.0) | 5.40 | India | Pallekele | 24 Aug 2017 |
| Paul Stirling (IRE) | 6/55 (10.0) | 5.50 | Afghanistan | Greater Noida | 17 Mar 2017 |
| Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | 5/9 (10.0) | 0.90 | New Zealand | Sharjah | 9 Apr 2002 |
Key Insights on Best Bowling Figures by Off-Spinners in ODI Cricket
Top Bowling Spells by Off-Spinners in ODI History
Muttiah Muralitharan has claimed the best bowling figures as an off-spinner in ODIs. He picked up 7 for 30 against India in 2000.
Muralitharan’s figures of 7 for 30 are the fourth-best by any spinner in ODIs.
The Netherlands’ Aryan Dutt has recorded the best bowling figures as an off-spinner for an associate ODI team. He returned with 6 for 34 against Namibia in 2024.
Sunil Narine’s figures of 6 for 27 against South Africa in 2016 are the best by an off-spinner in the first innings of an ODI match.
Narine’s figures of 6 for 27 are also the best by an off-spinner in a home ODI match.
Ajantha Mendis, meanwhile, has bagged the best bowling figures as an off-spinner at the home of the opposition. He claimed 6 for 29 against Zimbabwe at Harare in 2008.
UAE’s Rohan Mustafa has registered the best bowling figures as an off-spin bowling captain in ODIs. He took 5 for 25 against Papua New Guinea in 2017.
Debut and Age-Specific Records for Off-Spinners
Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman has taken the best bowling figures as an off-spinner on ODI debut. He fetched four wickets for 24 runs against Ireland in 2017.
Bangladesh’s Sohag Gazi (4/29 vs WI, 2012), Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana (4/37 vs SA, 2021) and South Africa’s Dave Rundle (4/42 vs AUS, 1994) are the other offies with four-fors on ODI debut.
Mujeeb is the youngest off-spinner to take a five-wicket haul in ODIs. He was just 16 years and 325 days old when he picked up 5 for 50 against Zimbabwe in 2018.
Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi is the oldest off-spinner with a five-for in ODIs. He claimed 5 for 17 against Ireland at the age of 39 years and 71 days in 2024.
Career Hauls and Economy Rate Statistics
Muralitharan has delivered the most expensive spell as an off-spinner in an ODI innings. He went for 99 runs for zero wickets against Australia in 2006.
Bonus: See the most expensive wicket-less bowling spells by ODI debutants here.
Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya is the only off-spinner who has taken two six-wicket hauls in ODIs.
Muralitharan has picked up the most four-wicket and five-wicket hauls as an off-spinner in ODIs, with 25 four-fors and 10 five-fors to his name.
Pakistan’s Arshad Khan has bowled the most economical spell as an off-spinner in ODIs (minimum 30 balls bowled). He had figures of 1 for 5 at an economy of 0.62 against Bangladesh in 2000.
