Best Bowling Average in ODI

Best Bowling Average in ODI is a premier metric of a bowler's lethality and efficiency, representing the average number of runs conceded for every wicket taken. Among bowlers with at least 50 appearances, this record is headlined by Afghanistan’s spin sensation, Rashid Khan.
With his deceptive googlies and rapid arm speed, Rashid has maintained an extraordinary average of approximately 18.5, meaning he claims a wicket for every 19 runs conceded. He is followed by icons like Joel Garner and Glenn McGrath. As of 2026, in an era dominated by high-scoring totals, maintaining an average under 20 is considered a generational achievement. This statistic serves as more than just a numerical value; it highlights a bowler's capacity to act as a primary breakthrough force, ensuring that the cost of dismantling the opposition's batting lineup remains as low as possible.

RANK 1

Danny Morrison

AVG

Wkts

126

RANK 2

Gill Smith

AVG

12.53

Wkts

RANK 3

Lyn Fullston

AVG

13.26

Wkts

Rank	Player	Matches	Innings	Overs	Balls	Runs	Wkts	AVG	Econ	SR	Bbi	Bbm	4w	5w
1	Danny Morrison	96	43	764.2	4586	171	126	9	4.53	42.75	5/34	5/34	1	2
2	Gill Smith	31	30	253.3	1521	514	41	12.53	2.02	37	5/15	5/15	0	2
3	Lyn Fullston	41	39	394.2	2366	968	73	13.26	2.45	32.4	5/27	5/27	4	2
4	Mohammad Rafique	125	106	1069	6414	1191	125	13.38	4.43	71.61	5/47	5/47	3	1
5	Carole Hodges	47	41	367.5	2207	874	58	15.06	2.37	38	4/3	4/3	4	0
6	Karen Brown	43	42	414	2484	869	52	16.71	2.09	47.7	4/4	4/4	2	0
7	Upul Chandana	147	111	1023.4	6142	1627	151	17.3	4.7	72.99	5/61	5/61	4	1
8	Shubhangi Kulkarni	27	27	191.4	1150	669	38	17.6	3.49	30.2	4/27	4/27	2	0
9	Anna Peterson	32	24	137.4	826	482	27	17.85	3.5	30.5	4/25	4/25	2	0
10	Karen Smithies	69	56	446.5	2681	1194	64	18.65	2.67	41.8	3/6	3/6	0	0
11	Joel Garner	98	98	888.2	5330	2752	146	18.84	3.09	36.5	5/31	5/31	2	3
12	Ryan Harris	21	20	171.5	1031	832	44	18.9	4.84	23.4	5/19	5/19	0	3
13	Tony Gray	25	24	211.4	1270	835	44	18.97	3.94	28.8	6/50	6/50	2	1
14	Dane van Niekerk	107	103	763	4578	2642	138	19.14	3.46	33.1	5/17	5/17	6	2
15	Gouher Sultana	50	49	384.4	2308	1280	66	19.39	3.32	34.9	4/4	4/4	3	0
16	Leigh Kasperek	39	39	317.2	1904	1263	65	19.43	3.98	29.2	6/46	6/46	3	2
17	Khadija Tul Kubra	30	30	235.1	1411	820	42	19.52	3.48	33.5	6/20	6/20	2	1
18	Jess Jonassen	93	92	693.3	4161	2765	141	19.6	3.98	29.5	5/27	5/27	6	2
19	Rashid Khan AFG	117	109	981.2	5888	4127	210	19.65	4.2	28	7/18	7/18	6	6
20	Sandeep Lamichhane NEP	66	64	600.2	3602	2691	135	19.93	4.48	26.6	6/11	6/11	8	3
21	Shabnim Ismail	127	126	1028.2	6170	3812	191	19.95	3.7	32.3	6/10	6/10	6	2
22	Bernard Scholtz NAM	68	67	588.5	3533	2017	101	19.97	3.42	34.9	5/22	5/22	4	2
23	Anam Amin	34	33	269.4	1618	994	48	20.7	3.68	33.7	5/35	5/35	3	1
24	Anisa Mohammed	141	134	1042	6252	3735	180	20.75	3.58	34.7	7/14	7/14	7	6
25	Rajeshwari Gayakwad	64	64	566.3	3399	2059	99	20.79	3.63	34.3	5/15	5/15	5	1
26	Shane Bond	82	80	715.5	4295	3070	147	20.88	4.28	29.2	6/19	6/19	7	4
27	Tony Dodemaide	24	24	221.1	1327	753	36	20.91	3.4	36.8	5/21	5/21	1	1
28	Bilal Khan OMA	49	49	418.2	2510	2118	101	20.97	5.06	24.8	5/31	5/31	4	4
29	Karen Gunn	45	44	458.5	2753	1113	53	21	2.42	51.9	5/22	5/22	1	1
30	Emily Drumm	101	42	257	1542	778	37	21.02	3.02	41.6	4/31	4/31	1	0
31	Alicia Smith	37	36	283.1	1699	1059	50	21.18	3.73	33.9	5/7	5/7	1	1
32	Michael Holding	102	102	912.1	5473	3034	142	21.36	3.32	38.5	5/26	5/26	5	1
33	Sune Luus SA-W	107	88	549.3	3297	2457	115	21.36	4.47	28.6	6/36	6/36	3	5
34	Sophie Ecclestone ENG-W	58	58	529.2	3176	1969	92	21.4	3.71	34.5	6/36	6/36	2	1
35	Chris Greaves SCO	30	22	109.5	659	600	28	21.42	5.46	23.5	5/53	5/53	1	1
36	Sir Richard Hadlee	115	112	1030.2	6182	3407	158	21.56	3.3	39.1	5/25	5/25	1	5
37	Ghulam Shabber UAE	23	23	0	0	500	0	21.73	0	62.5	-	-	0	0
38	Charlotte Edwards	191	51	271.1	1627	1174	54	21.74	4.32	30.1	4/30	4/30	2	0
39	Nahida Akter BAN-W	34	32	241.5	1451	892	41	21.75	3.68	35.3	5/21	5/21	0	1
40	Saqlain Mushtaq	169	165	1461.4	8770	6275	288	21.78	4.29	30.4	5/20	5/20	11	6
41	Allan Donald	164	162	1426.5	8561	5926	272	21.78	4.15	31.4	6/23	6/23	11	2
42	Brandon McMullen SCO	40	36	285.5	1715	1286	59	21.79	4.49	29	5/34	5/34	1	1
43	Holly Colvin	72	68	596.1	3577	2137	98	21.8	3.58	36.5	4/17	4/17	3	0
44	Ekta Bisht	63	63	566.3	3399	2140	98	21.83	3.77	34.6	5/8	5/8	1	2
45	Ajantha Mendis	87	84	692.2	4154	3324	152	21.86	4.8	27.3	6/13	6/13	7	3
46	Shikha Pandey	55	55	412	2472	1644	75	21.92	3.99	32.9	4/18	4/18	2	0
47	Stafanie Taylor WI-W	151	133	949.4	5698	3359	153	21.95	3.53	37.2	4/17	4/17	5	0
48	Holly Ferling	22	22	120.1	721	528	24	22	4.39	30	3/4	3/4	0	0
49	Glenn McGrath	250	248	2161.4	12970	8391	381	22.02	3.88	34	7/15	7/15	9	7
50	Jhulan Goswami	204	203	1667.3	10005	5622	255	22.04	3.37	39.2	6/31	6/31	7	2
51	Shelley Nitschke	80	78	605.2	3632	2170	98	22.14	3.58	37	7/24	7/24	2	1
52	Chris Old	32	31	292.3	1755	999	45	22.2	3.41	39	4/8	4/8	2	0
53	Josh Davey	33	31	226.5	1361	1111	50	22.22	4.89	27.2	6/28	6/28	1	2
54	Sarah Coyte	30	30	236.2	1418	980	44	22.27	4.14	32.2	4/39	4/39	1	0
55	Carl Rackemann	52	52	465.1	2791	1833	82	22.35	3.94	34	5/16	5/16	3	1
56	Janet Tedstone	38	37	371.1	2227	1031	46	22.41	2.77	48.4	4/17	4/17	2	0
57	Kristen Beams	30	30	248.2	1490	943	42	22.45	3.79	35.4	4/15	4/15	2	0
58	Hamid Hassan AFG	38	37	289	1734	1330	59	22.54	4.6	29.3	5/45	5/45	2	1
59	Priyanka Roy	27	22	111	666	429	19	22.57	3.86	35	4/14	4/14	1	0
60	Ashleigh Gardner AUS-W	57	54	390.3	2343	1606	71	22.61	4.11	33	3/25	3/25	0	0
61	Salma Khatun	46	44	329	1974	1180	52	22.69	3.58	37.9	3/6	3/6	0	0
62	Saeed Ajmal	113	112	1000	6000	4182	184	22.72	4.18	32.6	5/24	5/24	6	2
63	Sadia Yousuf	59	59	473	2838	1777	78	22.78	3.75	36.3	5/35	5/35	2	1
64	Derek Underwood	26	24	213	1278	734	32	22.93	3.44	39.9	4/44	4/44	1	0
65	Shandre Fritz	59	24	123.4	742	506	22	23	4.09	33.7	4/36	4/36	1	0
66	Muttiah Muralitharan	350	341	3135.1	18811	12326	534	23.08	3.93	35.2	7/30	7/30	15	10
67	Afy Fletcher WI-W	66	59	450.3	2703	1834	79	23.21	4.07	34.2	4/22	4/22	1	0
68	Jonathan Smit NAM	56	41	301.1	1807	1300	56	23.21	4.31	32.2	5/26	5/26	2	2
69	Shanel Daley	70	68	496.1	2977	1701	73	23.3	3.42	40.7	4/29	4/29	2	0
70	Brett Lee	221	217	1864.1	11185	8877	380	23.36	4.76	29.4	5/22	5/22	14	9
71	Terry Alderman	65	65	561.5	3371	2056	88	23.36	3.65	38.3	5/17	5/17	1	2
72	Wasim Akram	356	351	3031	18186	11812	502	23.52	3.89	36.2	5/15	5/15	17	6
73	Jasprit Bumrah IND	89	88	763.2	4580	3509	149	23.55	4.59	30.7	6/19	6/19	6	2
74	Shaun Tait	35	34	281.2	1688	1461	62	23.56	5.19	27.2	4/39	4/39	2	0
75	Mitchell Starc AUS	130	130	1106.2	6638	5826	247	23.58	5.26	26.8	6/28	6/28	12	9
76	Megan Schutt AUS-W	82	80	632.5	3797	2665	113	23.58	4.21	33.6	4/18	4/18	5	0
77	Amit Mishra	36	34	319.3	1917	1511	64	23.6	4.72	29.9	6/48	6/48	2	2
78	Doug Bollinger	39	39	323.4	1942	1482	62	23.9	4.57	31.3	5/35	5/35	3	2
79	Alex Cusack	59	52	325.3	1953	1510	63	23.96	4.63	31	5/20	5/20	1	1
80	Katherine Brunt	141	139	1141.1	6847	4081	170	24	3.57	40.2	5/18	5/18	3	5
81	Vernon Philander	30	28	213.1	1279	986	41	24.04	4.62	31.1	4/12	4/12	2	0
82	Mohammad Shami	108	107	887.4	5326	4955	206	24.05	5.58	25.8	7/57	7/57	10	6
83	Curtly Ambrose	176	175	1558.5	9353	5429	225	24.12	3.48	41.5	5/17	5/17	6	4
84	Ryan ten Doeschate	33	33	263.2	1580	1327	55	24.12	5.03	28.7	4/31	4/31	3	0
85	Sana Mir	120	118	990.2	5942	3665	151	24.27	3.7	39.3	5/32	5/32	7	1
86	Holly Huddleston	36	36	254.3	1527	1118	46	24.3	4.39	33.1	5/25	5/25	1	3
87	Erin Bermingham	34	34	260.5	1565	1047	43	24.34	4.01	36.3	4/16	4/16	2	0
88	Alex Hartley	28	28	231.4	1390	950	39	24.35	4.1	35.6	4/24	4/24	2	0
89	Clint McKay	59	59	494.1	2965	2364	97	24.37	4.78	30.5	5/28	5/28	4	2
90	Trent Boult NZ	114	113	1030	6180	5146	211	24.38	4.99	29.2	7/34	7/34	10	6