Kuldeep Yadav reached a major milestone in his ODI career during the second match against West Indies in Guwahati on Wednesday. The left-arm spinner became the fastest Indian spinner, in terms of matches played, to take 200 wickets in the format.
Kuldeep reached the landmark in his 123rd ODI, breaking the previous Indian record held by Anil Kumble. The former India captain had taken 147 matches to reach 200 ODI wickets, achieving the feat against Zimbabwe on September 26, 1998.
Second-Fastest Indian To 200 ODI Wickets
Kuldeep is now the second-fastest Indian overall to reach 200 ODI wickets. Only Mohammed Shami got there quicker, reaching the landmark in 104 matches.
Globally, Kuldeep is joint-ninth on the list alongside Australia’s Adam Zampa. Mitchell Starc holds the record for reaching 200 ODI wickets in the fewest matches, doing so in just 102 games.
Kuldeep is also among the fastest spinners to reach the mark. Only two spinners have taken 200 ODI wickets in fewer matches than him, and neither of them is a left-arm spinner.
Fastest 200 ODI wickets in men's cricket
| Player | Team | Opposition | Ground | Match Date | Matches taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Starc | Australia | Zimbabwe | Townsville | 3 Sep 2022 | 102 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq | Pakistan | South Africa | Nottingham | 5 Jun 1999 | 104 |
| Mohammed Shami | India | Bangladesh | Dubai (DICS) | 20 Feb 2025 | 104 |
| Trent Boult | New Zealand | Bangladesh | Chennai | 13 Oct 2023 | 107 |
| Brett Lee | Australia | England | The Oval | 12 Jul 2005 | 112 |
| Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | Bangladesh | Abu Dhabi | 8 Oct 2025 | 115 |
| Allan Donald | South Africa | Zimbabwe | Chelmsford | 29 May 1999 | 117 |
| Waqar Younis | Pakistan | India | Bengaluru | 9 Mar 1996 | 118 |
| Adam Zampa | Australia | Zimbabwe | Harare | 18 Sep 2026 | 123 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | India | West Indies | Guwahati | 30 Sep 2026 | 123 |
| Shane Warne | Australia | Pakistan | Lord’s | 20 Jun 1999 | 125 |
Kuldeep Gives India Something To Cheer About
Kuldeep’s milestone came on a difficult day for India’s bowlers. West Indies smashed 405/7 in their 50 overs, becoming only the third team to score 400 or more against India in an ODI innings.
Kuldeep finished with figures of 2/65 from his 10 overs. He provided India with an important breakthrough when he dismissed West Indies captain Shai Hope shortly after Hope completed his century.