Most wickets in Asia Cup ODIs is a feat that shows the consistency of bowlers in Asia’s biggest cricket tournament. From Muttiah Muralitharan to Ajantha Mendis, we look at players who top the most wickets charts in Asia Cup ODIs.
Most Wickets in Asia Cup
The Asia Cup is a cricket tournament played in the ODI and T20I formats. So far, fifteen editions of the Asia Cup tournament have been played, and only two have been played in the T20 format. The following is a list of bowlers with the most wickets in Asia Cup ODI tournament history.
Muttiah Muralitharan
Standing on top of the peak, with 30 wickets, is the Sri Lankan spinning maestro, Muralitharan. The Kandy-born cricketer was integral in Sri Lanka’s three successful Asia Cup campaigns – 1997, 2004, and 2008. Though he hasn’t finished highest wicket-taker in any of the Asia Cup editions, the off-spinner has racked up wickets consistently in Sri Lanka colours.
Muttiah Muralitharan Asia Cup ODI Stats
| Matches | Wickets | Economy | Best Bowling Figures |
| 24 | 30 | 3.75 | 5/31 |
Lasith Malinga
With 29 wickets, Lasith Malinga is second on the most wickets in Asia Cup ODIs chart. The pacer, who has an unorthodox bowling action, was a huge threat to the batters. Malinga was the joint-highest wicket-taker in Asia Cup 2014, which Sri Lanka won thanks to his five-wicket haul and a hundred by Lahiru Thirimanne in the final.
Lasith Malinga Asia Cup ODI Stats
| Matches | Wickets | Economy | Best Bowling Figures |
| 14 | 29 | 4.65 | 5/34 |
Ajantha Mendis
The mystery spinner has a stellar record in Asia Cup ODIs. He and Malinga are the only players to have taken two five wicket-hauls in the tournament’s history. Mendis’ most memorable performance in white-ball cricket came in the 2008 Asia Cup final, where he took 6/13 against India and steered Sri Lanka to the title. He also finished as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament.
Ajantha Mendis Asia Cup ODI Stats
| Matches | Wickets | Economy | Best Bowling Figures |
| 8 | 26 | 3.98 | 6/13 |
Saeed Ajmal, Ravindra Jadeja, Chaminda Vaas, Irfan Pathan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Abdur Razzak, and Shakib Al Hasan are the remaining players in the top ten of most wickets in Asia Cup ODIs.
Most Wickets in Asia Cup 2018
The 2018 edition saw three bowlers finishing as the top wicket-takers – Rashid Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, and pacer Mustafizur Rahman. Rashid’s instrumental performance saw Afghanistan reach the Super 4s, while Mustafizur took a match-winning 4/43 against Pakistan in the crucial Super 4s clash. Meanwhile, Kuldeep grabbed a three-wicket haul in the final, which India won after a thrilling win over Bangladesh.
Most Wickets in Asia Cup 2022
Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the most wickets in the Asia Cup 2022, which was a T20 edition. Though India didn’t make the final, Bhuvneshwar grabbed 11 wickets, including a T20 career-best 5/4 against Afghanistan in the Super 4s stage. Sri lanka all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga and Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz finished second and third in the charts with eight and nine wickets, respectively.
Concluding Thoughts
The Asia Cup has witnessed some world-class players and guided their team’s success. The top bowlers have managed to deceive the batters with their variations and skills. Muralitharan is at the top of the list regarding the most wickets in the Asia Cup. It would be interesting to see any of the current crop of players leap into the top of most wickets in the Asia Cup ODIs chart.
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FAQs about Most Wickets in Asia Cup
With 19 wickets, Ravindra Jadeja leads India’s most wickets chart in Asia Cup ODIs.
India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar topped the most wickets in Asia Cup 2022 list with 11 wickets.
Lasith Malinga has taken 29 wickets in Asia Cup ODIs.
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