The ODI World Cup 2023 will kick off on October 5, 2023, with the contest between England and New Zealand at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium. Prior to the tournament, all 10 teams tested their preparations in warm-up matches. Indian surfaces are known for being batting-friendly and batters’ domination in practice games corroborates this fact.
Noting the action in warm-up games, it’s essential for every side to have a bowler who can showcase his efficiency in death overs. In pitches where batting is heaven, only death-over specialists can rein in batters in the last overs of innings. Ahead of the tournament, let’s rank some bowlers who are adept at containing runs in the final overs of innings.
Here are the rankings of death bowlers from each side in the World Cup 2023
10. The Netherlands- Ryan Klein
Ryan Klein(Photo by Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Ryan Klein will support Logan van Beek and Bas de Leede to reinforce the Dutch team’s fast-bowling unit. Klein looked confident with the ball in the World Cup qualifier 2023. The pacer took nine wickets in six matches at an economy of 4.40 and made a crucial contribution to his team’s spectacular campaign in the tournament.
His best performance of the tournament came against the United States of America (USA) in Harare. The speedster splurged 31 runs in nine overs and claimed two wickets. In the World Cup 2023, Klein will have to play the role of a death-over specialist for the Netherlands.
Klein’s bowling figures are decent in death overs. The 26-year-old has bowled 117 deliveries in the last overs of the innings in which he has taken five wickets and conceded 126 runs at an economy of 6.46.
9. Bangladesh- Mustafizur Rahman
Mustafizur Rahman. (Photo Source: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Mustafizur Rahman will spearhead Bangladesh’s pace attack in the upcoming tournament. The
pacer has more than eight years of experience in One-Day International (ODI) cricket and his responsibility will be to provide early breakthroughs to the team along with Taskin Ahmed.
Mustafizur is currently the best pacer for Bangladesh as he has succeeded in achieving some notable records with his disciplined bowling. The 28-year-old is known for deceiving batters with variations. With cutters, bouncers, and yorkers in his armoury, Mustafizur becomes difficult to pick for batters in the final overs of innings.
In his ODI career, Mustafizur has showcased his bowling skills several times with his death bowling. Talking about his record in death overs, the Bangla stalwart has given runs at an economy of 6.37 and scalped 69 wickets. Bangladesh will heavily rely on his bowling to fare well in the World Cup 2023.
8. Afghanistan- Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan against England in 2019. (Photo Source: Philip Brown/Popperfoto via Getty Images)
Rashid Khan will be spearheading Afghanistan’s spin attack in the upcoming tournament. Currently, Rashid is the best bowler for the Afghan side as he not only picks up wickets in regular intervals in challenging games but also prevents batters from attacking his team.
On turning tracks of India, Rashid might give headaches to batters. The leg-break bowler is accustomed to Indian conditions as he has appeared in the Indian Premier League (IPL) every year since 2017. Utilising his experience on these wickets, the 25-year-old will look to have a great time.
In death overs, Rashid becomes more dangerous against batters. Of his 172 ODI scalps, the young Afghan spinner has grabbed 57 wickets in death overs. His economy is 5.33 during these overs. The Afghanistan team will want their star bowler to step up and display his best in the tournament.
7. Sri Lanka- Maheesh Theekshana
Maheesh Theekshana Sri Lanka. (Photo Source: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana has done his job efficiently in the ODI format. The right-arm off-spinner has picked up 44 wickets in 27 ODIs since making his debut in the format in September 2021. In the absence of Wanindu Hasaranga, the 23-year-old will spearhead Sri Lanka’s spin-bowling unit in the upcoming World Cup.
Theekshana looked amazing with the ball in the World Cup qualifier 2023, picking up 21 wickets in eight games at an economy of 4.02. As the spin-bowling spearhead, he will look to take advantage of the turning tracks of India and make his debut World Cup edition wonderful.
Theekshana is also one of the bowlers in the team who can be banked on in the final overs of innings to stop batters from going ballistic. The youngster has claimed eight wickets in death overs at an economy of 5.74.
Also check: Most wickets in ODI World Cup 2023
6. South Africa- Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada. (Photo Source: Getty Images)
South Africa’s pace attack will be led by Kagiso Rabada in the upcoming World Cup. The pacer is known for troubling batters with his fiery fast bowling. In 2015, the 20-year-old Rabada toured India for the first time and put up an impressive show with the ball in a five-match ODI series.
In South Africa’s admirable one-day series victory against the Men in Blue, Rabada bagged 10 wickets in five games and ended up as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the series, along with his senior colleague Dale Steyn. Rabada will back himself to spearhead his team’s fast-bowling unit with confidence in the World Cup 2023 as he not only holds a fine record in India but is experienced in these conditions due to his IPL stint with different franchises.
Rabada is currently one of the best bowlers in ODI cricket not just due to delivering breakthroughs in initial overs but also because of his tight bowling in death overs. The speedster has taken 45 wickets during the last overs of innings and his economy is 6.66.
5. England- Reece Topley
Reece Topley (Photo Source: Twitter)
England will defend their World Cup title under Jos Buttler in the tournament. The English side will have to be the best in all departments of the sport to retain the coveted trophy. Their bowlers’ biggest challenge in this World Cup is going to save runs in death overs.
Death over bowling has been a huge issue for England for a long time. In India, batters are expected to dominate bowlers, and noting this fact, the defending champions will want someone from their bowling unit to come forward and take the responsibility of delivering economical and wicket-taking spells to them.
In recent years, England have got Reece Topley, who bowls on a tight line and make batters’ job difficult. The 29-year-old pacer has also proven himself in death overs with his nine wickets in 11 ODI innings at an economy of 6.44. Eyes will be set on Topley in this World Cup as his ODI numbers are decent. The Ipswich-born bowler has amassed 38 wickets in 26 ODIs so far.
4. New Zealand- Trent Boult
Trent Boult (Photo Source: Twitter)
New Zealand’s bowling unit looks formidable with the return of Trent Boult for the World Cup 2023. Boult played an instrumental role with the ball in New Zealand’s spectacular campaigns in the 2015 and 2019 editions of the World Cup. In the 2015 World Cup, he took 22 wickets in nine matches and ended up as the joint-leading wicket-taker with Australia’s Mitchell Starc.
This time, Boult is expected to create an impact for his team as he plays IPL consistently in the sub-continent nation. The 34-year-old is the highest wicket-taker for New Zealand in the World Cups with 39 scalps in 19 games. The veteran often gets praised for providing early breakthroughs to his team but his death bowling is also something to notice.
In the 2019 World Cup semi-final against India, Boult dismissed dangerous Ravindra Jadeja in the 48th over of India’s innings and made New Zealand’s job easy in the game. It’s not just one case, there are several matches to recount when the pacer got the better of batters in the final overs of the match. Discussing his bowling numbers in death overs, he has got 55 wickets in 67 innings at an economy of 7.16.
3. Australia- Mitchell Starc
Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell (Photo Source: Twitter)
Eyes will be set on Australia’s Mitchell Starc, who became the leading wicket-taker in the last two World Cup instalments. This time, he has the chance to terrorise batters with his fiery pace and become the leading wicket-taker in World Cup history. The Aussie paceman has fetched 49 scalps in 18 matches and is sitting in the fifth spot on the chart of bowlers with the most wickets in World Cups.
The Aussie veteran looked confident with the ball during a three-match ODI series against India. He clinched eight wickets in three matches and ended up as the leading wicket-taker in the series. Australia will want their pace-attack leader to produce fire with the ball in the upcoming tournament.
Starc is the best Aussie bowler when it comes to bowling in death overs. The star pacer has taken 59 wickets in 65 wickets during death overs, at an economy of 6.41. Considering these records, Aussie cricket team supporters will keep their expectations high from their efficient speedster.
2. Pakistan- Haris Rauf
Haris Rauf. (Photo Source: Twitter)
After failing to qualify for the knockouts in the last two World Cup installments, Pakistan will look to be solid in this World Cup edition which will be played in India. The Pakistan cricket team has pacers such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali, who are known for their speed and line.
Haris had a great time in the Asia Cup 2023 before getting injured. The pacer got nine wickets in just four matches at an economy of 4.80. In the World Cup to be played on Indian wickets, batters might dominate bowlers and Haris will have to prove himself with the ball in these challenging conditions.
Records say that Haris is the best death bowler in Pakistan’s World Cup 2023 team when it comes to being effective in the final overs of innings. While bowling in death, the 29-year-old has taken 22 wickets in 19 innings at an economy of 6.87. Rauf will look to justify his role in the World Cup 2023.
1. India- Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo Source: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
India’s endeavours will be to take advantage of home conditions and quench their thirst for the World Cup trophy. The Men in Blue are looking in great touch ahead of the World Cup 2023, with their victories in the Asia Cup 2023 and a three-match ODI series against Australia at home.
The return of their premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah has also bolstered their confidence. Bumrah made a comeback in ODIs after one year following his lower-back injury. Bumrah’s role is going to be vital in the upcoming competition as he will spearhead India’s fast-bowling unit. The star India pacer will be enticed to take advantage of familiar conditions to wreak havoc on batters.
Bumrah solves India’s problem of death bowling with his sensational talent. The 29-year-old’s bowling record is impeccable in death overs as he has racked up 61 wickets in 59 innings at an economy of 5.87 in challenging final overs. Team India supporters will want their iconic bowler to light up the marquee event with his scintillating performances.
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