In limited-overs cricket, batters give a lot of hammering to bowlers. That’s why bowlers always look to finish their spells by leaking fewer runs, even if they can’t take any wickets.
The only way to concede fewer runs is to bowl as many dot balls as possible. A string of dot balls can build pressure on the opponent batters, forcing them to make mistakes and throw their wickets.
The dot ball tactic can turn the momentum towards the bowling side, helping them restrict their opponent from scoring huge totals.
A few skilled bowlers have pushed the batters on the back through their disciplined bowling, earning a bagful of dot balls in their spells.
This article lists the top 10 instances of the most dot balls bowled by bowlers in an ODI innings.
Most Dot Balls Bowled in an ODI Innings
| Player | Dot Balls | Overs Bowled | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curtly Ambrose (WI) | 55 | 10.0 | Scotland | Leicester | 27 May 1999 |
| Sunil Joshi (IND) | 55 | 10.0 | South Africa | Nairobi | 26 Sep 1999 |
| Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) | 55 | 10.0 | Zimbabwe | Mirpur | 19 Jan 2009 |
| Glenn McGrath (AUS) | 54 | 10.0 | India | Sydney | 14 Jan 2000 |
| James Anderson (AUS) | 53 | 10.0 | Australia | Adelaide | 19 Jan 2003 |
| Gary Brent (ZIM) | 53 | 10.0 | Bangladesh | Mirpur | 9 Dec 2006 |
| Andy Caddick (ENG) | 53 | 10.0 | Netherlands | East London | 16 Feb 2003 |
| Fazl-e-Akbar (PAK) | 53 | 10.0 | England | Leeds | 17 Jun 2001 |
| Suranga Lakmal (SL) | 53 | 10.0 | India | Dharamsala | 10 Dec 2017 |
| Andy McKay (NZ) | 53 | 10.0 | Bangladesh | Dunedin | 8 Feb 2010 |
Key Insights
3 bowlers have bowled the most number of dot balls in their spells in an ODI innings. Curtly Ambrose, Sunil Joshi, and Shakib Al Hasan sent down 55 dot balls out of their 60 legal deliveries.
Among the top 10 bowlers on this list, India’s Sunil Joshi and England’s James Anderson bowled 6 maiden overs in their spells. Overall, Phil Simmons and Bishan Singh Bedi earned the most maiden overs (8) in an ODI innings.
