5 highest wicket-takers in ODIs in 2017
Bowling today is a dying art. Over the past few years, the game has tilted heavily towards the batsmen with the introduction of smaller grounds, heavier bats and flatter pitches. The bowlers have to be consistently on their toes and keep on innovating to bamboozle the batsmen and have any chance of returning respectable figures in any match.
However, at the end of the day, it's the bowlers that really win matches for their teams. No matter the score put up by the team, if the bowlers are not able to pick up the wickets, matches cannot be won. The best bowlers rise up to this challenge and consistently hone their skills to keep on improving.
In 2017, many new bowlers emerged on the scene and took heaps of wickets to make the cricketing world sit up and take note. So, who are the top bowlers this year in ODIs? Let us take a look.
Here is a list of the top 5 wicket-takers in ODIs this year:
#5 Hardik Pandya
The new rockstar of Indian cricket, Hardik Pandya makes his entry at number 5. He won the Man of the Match award on his debut against New Zealand and since then has been an indispensable part of the Indian team. Although known mainly for his clean hitting, his bowling is also very effective. He bowls at a good pace and consistently hits 140 kmph and also has the ability to swing the new ball.
2017 turned out to be a great year for him as he took 29 wickets from the 27 matches that he played. These figures are mightily impressive for someone not considered a regular seamer, but an all-rounder.
He would be looking to carry this good form into 2018 as well.