After becoming the first Indian to take two One Day International (ODI) hat-tricks, chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav is on the way to add one more feather into his caps when India play West Indies in the series-deciding third ODI at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Sunday.
Kuldeep who is likely to be in the playing eleven is one wicket shy of his 100 ODI scalps. If he manages to take his 100th wicket in Cuttack, he will achieve the feat in his 55th ODI and will become the joint-fastest Indian to do so. Right-arm pacer Mohammed Shami has done it within the same time.
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The 24-year-old will become the 22nd Indian to claim 100 ODI wickets. Among the spinners, Kuldeep will become the eighth Indian to pick 100 ODI wickets.
Former India captain and leg-spinner Anil Kumble holds the record for taking the most number of wickets for India with his tally of 334 wickets in the 229 ODIs that he appeared in. He is followed by Javagal Srinath, who took 315 wickets in 229 matches that he played wearing the blue jersey of India.
Kuldeep, in his eighth over during West Indies’ chase of 388 on Wednesday evening, dismissed Shai Hope (78), Jason Holder (11) and Alzarri Joseph (0) and became the first Indian bowler to pick two hat-tricks in international cricket. He had previously taken a hat-trick during the 2017 series against Australia at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. He also has a hat-trick to his name at the U-19 level for India.
Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan is the fastest cricketer to claim 100 ODI wickets after he achieved the feat in 44 ODIs. Rashid is followed by Australian pacer Mitchell Starc and former Pakistani spinner Saqlain Mushtaq who took the wickets in 52 and 53 ODIs respectively.
(With inputs from IANS)