How many bowlers have crossed 500 wickets mark in One Day International?
- Muttaiah Muralitharan- 534 wickets in 350 matches in a career spanned for 18 years
- Wasim Akram- 502 wickets in 356 matches in as many as 19 years
Just 2! & they played almost 18–20 ODI matches every year of their cricketing life
One is master of spin and other is monarch of swing.
Where is Jasprit Bumrah right now?
World number 1 ODI bowler is 58 matches old and has taken 103 wickets so far. This is when he debuted in One Day scheme of things for Team India in January 2016 and featured almost regularly with the squad. This means he is already 3 years and 7 months old. & he is playing only 15–17 ODIs per year.
The scantily-built pacer from Gujarat has managed to perfect the art of bowling inch-perfect yorkers and emerged as the best death bowler across the world.
Can he take 500 wickets in ODI?
Let’s analyse:
From September 2019 to November 2022 India is slated to play 59 One Day International Matches. In addition to these, the sudden planned BCCI obliged series also takes place. Let say another 11-16 matches. Thus 70-75 ODI matches are destined for Men in Blue in the next 3 years
Safely considering the fact that Bumrah’s workload management is key focus of BCCI and Kohli-Shastri leaves no stone un-turned to safeguard their most important bowling weapon, he will not play more than 50 ODIs in best case scenario (This is the maximum I am considering)
If we consider his bowling form for the next 3 years, to remain the same, he will not be sitting with more than 210–220 wickets under his belt. At this time, he will be 28 years old.
Nobody knows with the advent of so much Twenty20 cricket, what will be the future of ODIs at the tail end of year 2022. Staying optimistic if One day format survive with same volume of matches for the next 6 years. Bumrah will be 34 years old & somewhere around 430–440 wickets by year 2028 end, still 60–70 short of 500.
Stretching a couple of years like Zaheer Khan in 2030 he might cross 500 marks. Too wishful but not impossible!
Fast bowling is enchanting, thrilling and eventful but there are several instances when the pacers promising careers are repeatedly and severely cut short by multiple injuries. Fast bowlers at International level significantly increased their risk of injury when their bowling workload exceed.
We have plenty example including Dale Steyn, Shane Bond, Nathan Bracken, Ian Bishop etc.
Ajit Agarkar, who played 9 years and scalped 288 wickets (32 wickets per year) for his team. Agarkar played his last match for India when he was just 29, so it is very difficult to say how long will Bumrah continue.
Bumrah is no different. He can (god forbid) be victim of small injuries here and there which may cause hindrance in these stats ambitions
Rather than focusing on his 500 target we should just enjoy his incredible bowling which is receiving praise from bowling giants like Andy Roberts & Sir Curtley Ambrose: