Ranking India men's top 5 ODI bowlers in 2022
India had a mixed performance in ODI cricket in 2022. They played 24 matches - winning 14, losing 8, with no results in 2. The highlights of their year included a 2-1 series victory against England (away) and a 2-1 series victory against South Africa (home).
However, there were significant lows as well. India started the year on a losing note in the South Africa tour (lost 0-3) and ended the year with a loss against Bangladesh for the first time since 2015.
Nevertheless, some bowlers did well to contribute to team's victory. On that note, let's take a look at the top five ODI bowlers for India last year.
#1 Mohammad Siraj
Siraj in ODI in 2022:
1/26(8)
1/38(9)
3/29(3)
2/66(9)
2/56(10)
0/46(10)
2/14(3)
1/36(8)
1/16(8)
0/49(8)
3/38(10)
2/17(5)
3/32(10) https://t.co/nHMxlHiFPt
Right-arm fast-bowler Mohammad Siraj was the standout performer for the Men in Blue in 50-over cricket in 2022. He made a comeback in ODIs after three years in the ODI series against West Indies at home. Siraj grabbed the chance and took 24 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 23.50 and an economy rate of 4.62 last year.
The 28-year-old took responsibility as the leader of the pace attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. He was particularly impactful in the first 10 overs, while taking took 16 wickets at an average of as many runs per dismissal and an economy rate of under 4. His best bowling performance came against West Indies in Ahmedabad, when he returned with figures of 3/29 in nine overs.
#2 Prasidh Krishna
The tall, lanky right-arm fast-bowler from Karnataka made his ODI debut against England in 2021. He had a lot of opportunities in the absence of the first-choice pacers resting or suffering from injuries. Krishna took 19 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 22.3 and an economy rate of 4.86.
Prasidh has impressed fans and critics alike as an ODI bowler in 2022. Former Indian cricketers such as Gautam Gambhir and Irfan Pathan rate him highly and want him to be a regular in the ODI setup. His best bowling performance came against the West Indies in Ahmedabad when he returned with figures of 4/12 in nine overs.
#3 Jasprit Bumrah
Wisden picks Jasprit Bumrah's 6/19 against England as the best ODI spell of 2022.
#Cricket #INDvsSL
https://t.co/FcXspOpO2y
Ace fast-bowler Jasprit Bumrah made it to the list despite not being a regular feature in the playing XI last year. He has 13 dismissals to his name in just five matches at an average of 15.76 and an economy rate of 4.33.
Bumrah was instrumental in India's series victory over England and was the only pacer to make some impact in the ODI series of the South Africa tour. He took wickets in every match he played. Bumrah's stand-out performance came against England at The Oval when he returned with figures of 6/19 in 7.2 overs.
#4 Washington Sundar
In the absence of Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar got an opportunity to start in 11 matches for team India. He took 13 wickets at an average of 20.31 and an economy rate of 4.40. He conceded less than 5 runs per over in seven of the ten innings, proving his worth as a top-notch defensive off-spinner in ODI cricket.
Sundar is likely to be Jadeja's understudy for team India ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Therefore, it is important that he gets sufficient game time in case of injuries or unavailability issues. His best bowling performance came against West Indies in Ahmedabad when he dismissed 3 batters and conceded just 30 runs in nine overs.
#5 Kuldeep Yadav
Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has returned to form in ODI cricket after a couple of tough years across formats. He took 12 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 27.75 and an economy rate of 4.96.
Kuldeep was back to doing his basics right; getting a good turn, drift and bounce. He was able to deceive the batters in the flight and in lines and lengths. His best performance came against South Africa - 4/18 in 4.1 overs.