In the Asia Cup 2023 final against Sri Lanka at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium, Indian seamer Mohammed Siraj delivered a remarkable bowling performance, achieving the second-best bowling figures ever by an Indian in a One-Day International (ODI).
Additionally, Siraj achieved the distinction of recording the joint-fastest ODI five-wicket haul.
Muhammad Siraj’s exceptional spell highlighted yet another instance of an Indian bowler showcasing their best abilities in the 50-over format. Among Indian bowlers, Stuart Binny holds the overall record with a career-best performance of six wickets for four runs against Bangladesh.
Furthermore, Muhammad Siraj made history by becoming the first Indian bowler to claim four wickets in a single over.
In the match, India, who were required to bowl first, dismantled the Sri Lankan top-order thanks to Siraj’s fiery performance with the new ball. He began by dismissing Pathum Nissanka and then proceeded to take the wickets of Charith Asalanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Dhananjaya de Silva, leaving Sri Lanka in a dire situation at 12 for five after just four overs.
Notably, Muhammad Siraj also achieved the distinction of being the second-fastest Indian to reach 50 ODI wickets, measured by the fewest number of balls bowled, with Ajantha Mendis holding the top spot in this regard.
It’s worth mentioning that ten different Indian bowlers have managed to take six wickets in ODIs, with Ashish Nehra being the only one to accomplish this feat twice in one-day internationals.