Mohammed Siraj Becomes First Indian To Bag Four Wickets In One Over, Equals Fastest ODI Five-Wicket Haul

Mohammed Siraj produced one of the most devastating new-ball spells in ODI history when India faced Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 final at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. In a match expected to provide a close contest between the tournament’s two most successful teams, Siraj effectively decided the final within a few overs.

The Indian fast bowler took four wickets in one over, becoming the first Indian to achieve the feat in men’s ODIs. He then completed his five-wicket haul in only 16 balls, equalling the fastest five-for in ODI cricket from the start of a spell where ball-by-ball data is available. Sri Lanka great Chaminda Vaas had previously taken five wickets within his first 16 balls against Bangladesh at the 2003 World Cup. Other bowlers have since joined the 16-ball mark.

Siraj eventually finished with career-best ODI figures of 6/21 from seven overs. Sri Lanka collapsed for just 50, and India chased the target in 6.1 overs without losing a wicket to win the Asia Cup final by 10 wickets.

Mohammed Siraj’s 6/21 in the Asia Cup Final

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat, but overcast conditions immediately gave India’s fast bowlers assistance.

Jasprit Bumrah struck in the opening over by dismissing Kusal Perera for a duck. Siraj then began building pressure from the other end.

His first over was a maiden, but what followed changed the final completely.

Sri Lanka had no answer to Siraj’s late movement, attacking lengths and ability to swing the ball both ways. His next over contained four wickets and reduced the hosts to a position from which recovery was almost impossible.

The sequence of the famous over was:

W, 0, W, W, 4, W

By the end of it, Siraj had four wickets in six balls.

He returned in his next over and bowled Dasun Shanaka to reach five wickets from only 16 balls of his spell. He later dismissed Kusal Mendis to complete his six-wicket haul.

Ball-by-Ball Account of Siraj’s Historic Spell

Siraj’s First Over – Immediate Control

Siraj did not take a wicket in his opening over, but it set up everything that followed.

He found movement straight away and gave Sri Lanka little opportunity to score. Kusal Mendis had to concentrate on survival rather than attack.

A maiden over created further pressure after Bumrah had already removed Kusal Perera.

Siraj had bowled six balls without taking a wicket.

Six deliveries later, he had four.

The Four-Wicket Over Begins – Pathum Nissanka Out

The first delivery of Siraj’s second over produced the breakthrough.

Pathum Nissanka pushed at a delivery and Ravindra Jadeja took the catch at point.

Siraj had his first wicket, but Sri Lanka could not have anticipated what would happen during the rest of the over.

Second Ball – A Dot

Sadeera Samarawickrama survived the second delivery.

There was no run, meaning Siraj continued applying pressure without giving the new batter any chance to settle.

Third Ball – Samarawickrama LBW

Siraj struck again with the third ball.

Samarawickrama was trapped lbw for a duck.

Sri Lanka had lost another top-order batter without adding meaningful runs, and Siraj now had two wickets in three balls.

Fourth Ball – Charith Asalanka Falls First Ball

Charith Asalanka came to the crease with Sri Lanka desperately needing someone to stop the collapse.

He lasted one delivery.

Siraj encouraged the left-hander to drive, and Asalanka picked out Ishan Kishan in the covers.

It was Siraj’s third wicket in four deliveries.

Fifth Ball – Dhananjaya Hits a Boundary

Dhananjaya de Silva interrupted the destruction briefly.

He drove his first delivery for four.

For one ball, Sri Lanka appeared to have found a response to Siraj’s movement.

It did not last.

Sixth Ball – Dhananjaya Caught Behind

Siraj responded immediately.

Dhananjaya edged the final delivery through to wicketkeeper KL Rahul.

Siraj had taken four wickets in one over.

His figures after just two overs were an extraordinary 4/4.

The four-wicket over made him the first Indian bowler to take four wickets in a single over in men’s ODIs. ICC’s account of the final confirmed the sequence as Nissanka, Samarawickrama, Asalanka and Dhananjaya.

Dasun Shanaka Becomes Siraj’s Fifth Wicket

Bumrah kept Sri Lanka under pressure from the other end before Siraj returned.

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka now had the responsibility of rebuilding.

Siraj beat him repeatedly.

The fourth ball of that over moved past Shanaka’s defence and crashed into the off stump.

Siraj had taken five wickets after bowling only 16 balls.

That equalled the fastest ODI five-wicket haul from the start of a spell where detailed ball-by-ball records are available.

Sri Lanka were 12/6.

The Asia Cup final had effectively been decided within the opening Powerplay.

Kusal Mendis Becomes Wicket Number Six

Kusal Mendis was the only specialist Sri Lankan batter who offered prolonged resistance.

He reached 17 before Siraj struck again.

Siraj bowled him to claim his sixth wicket and complete career-best figures.

Siraj eventually finished with:

7 overs, 1 maiden, 21 runs, 6 wickets.

Hardik Pandya then removed the lower order, taking 3/3, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 50. All 10 wickets fell to India’s fast bowlers.

Fastest Five-Wicket Hauls in ODI Cricket

The following table uses the number of balls bowled by the bowler from the beginning of his spell until taking his fifth wicket. Historical ball-by-ball data is not complete for every early ODI.

ICC noted in 2024 that Aryan Dutt’s five wickets in 18 balls were bettered by Siraj, Vaas and Ali Khan, who had each reached five wickets within 16 balls.

Chaminda Vaas – Five Wickets in 16 Balls

Chaminda Vaas produced one of the most extraordinary starts to an international innings against Bangladesh at the 2003 World Cup.

He took a hat-trick with the first three balls of the match and added a fourth wicket in the same opening over.

Vaas reached his five-wicket haul within his first 16 deliveries and ultimately finished with 6/25.

For two decades, his 16-ball five-for was the benchmark most commonly associated with the fastest ODI five-wicket haul.

Mohammed Siraj – Five Wickets in 16 Balls

Siraj matched Vaas during the Asia Cup final in Colombo.

The difference was that Siraj did not take a wicket in his first over.

Instead, his destruction came suddenly: four wickets in his second over followed by Shanaka’s wicket four balls into his third.

He therefore went from zero wickets to five in the space of only 10 deliveries while completing the five-for within the first 16 balls of his spell.

The performance was even more valuable because it came in a continental final.

Ali Khan – Five Wickets in 16 Balls

USA fast bowler Ali Khan also reached five wickets within his first 16 balls during his remarkable spell against Jersey in 2023.

Khan eventually took 7/32 from 9.4 overs.

His seven-wicket haul helped USA secure an important victory during the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off.

ICC later grouped Khan alongside Vaas and Siraj as the bowlers who had completed five-wicket hauls within 16 balls.

Aryan Dutt – Five Wickets in 18 Balls

Netherlands off-spinner Aryan Dutt produced one of the fastest five-fors ever recorded when he dismantled Namibia in an ODI in Nepal in 2024.

Dutt reached figures of 5/12 from his first 18 deliveries.

He eventually finished with 6/34.

His performance was also significant because such rapid five-wicket hauls are usually associated with fast bowlers using the new ball. Dutt achieved his through off-spin.

Timm van der Gugten – Five Wickets in 20 Balls

Another Netherlands bowler, Timm van der Gugten, reached five wickets from 20 balls against Canada in 2013.

He finished with figures of 5/24.

For years, his effort ranked immediately behind Vaas among the fastest recorded ODI five-fors before Siraj, Ali Khan and Dutt changed the leaderboard.

Bowlers With Four Wickets in One Over in ODIs

Siraj joined a very small group when he took four wickets in his famous Asia Cup final over.

The feat has been achieved by bowlers including Chaminda Vaas, Mohammad Sami, Lasith Malinga and Adil Rashid.

Siraj became the first Indian to join this group.

Vaas’ four-wicket over was particularly remarkable because it came in the opening over against Bangladesh at the 2003 World Cup.

Malinga’s achievement was different again. His four wickets against South Africa during the 2007 World Cup came from four consecutive deliveries, although the sequence crossed overs.

Adil Rashid took four wickets in five deliveries against West Indies in Grenada in 2019.

Mohammed Siraj’s Career-Best ODI Figures

Siraj’s 6/21 remain the defining figures of his ODI career from this period.

Before the Asia Cup final, he had established himself primarily as a new-ball wicket-taker capable of moving the ball away from right-handers while also bringing it back into the stumps.

Against Sri Lanka, everything came together.

He maintained an attacking line, found movement in both directions and repeatedly forced batters to play.

The six wickets cost only 21 runs.

ICC also noted that the performance was the best by a fast bowler in Asia Cup history at the time, surpassing Aaqib Javed’s 5/19 against India in 1995. It was also the best Asia Cup bowling performance by an Indian, passing Arshad Ayub’s 5/21 against Pakistan in 1988.

The spell helped Siraj return to No. 1 in the ICC men’s ODI bowling rankings shortly after the tournament.

Records Broken in the Asia Cup 2023 Final

Siraj’s performance produced several notable records and milestones.

He became the first Indian bowler to take four wickets in a single over in men’s ODI cricket.

He completed his five-wicket haul within 16 balls, equalling the fastest recorded ODI five-for from the start of a spell.

His 6/21 became the best figures by an Indian bowler in the ODI Asia Cup.

They also became the best figures by a fast bowler in the competition.

Siraj reached five wickets while conceding only a handful of runs and helped reduce Sri Lanka to 12/6.

Sri Lanka eventually finished on 50, their lowest ODI total against India at the time.

India needed only 6.1 overs to complete the chase, with Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan finishing unbeaten.

The final therefore became one of the most one-sided championship matches in Asia Cup history.

How Siraj Used Colombo Conditions

Conditions helped India’s fast bowlers, but Siraj still needed the skill to exploit them.

The cloud cover and moisture allowed the ball to move, and Siraj consistently pitched it in areas that forced Sri Lanka’s batters to make decisions.

He did not rely only on outswing.

Deliveries that held their line or moved back into right-handed batters became equally dangerous because Sri Lanka could not predict which way the ball would go.

That uncertainty contributed heavily to Shanaka’s dismissal.

Siraj repeatedly beat the Sri Lankan captain before finally sending the off stump backwards.

His famous four-wicket over also showed excellent control after Dhananjaya hit him for four. Rather than reacting with a defensive delivery, Siraj attacked again and immediately found the edge.

Why the Spell Was More Than Just a Statistical Record

A six-wicket haul is rare in any ODI, but the setting made Siraj’s performance even more significant.

This was an Asia Cup final in Colombo against the defending champions.

Sri Lanka had home support and had already demonstrated their ability to compete with the leading Asian teams throughout the tournament.

Siraj removed that competitive tension almost immediately.

His spell gave India complete control before Sri Lanka had reached 15 runs.

For a fast bowler, few performances can have a greater impact on a final.

It also strengthened India’s pace-bowling confidence shortly before the 2023 ODI World Cup, where Siraj, Bumrah and Mohammed Shami would form a major part of the attack.

Conclusion

Mohammed Siraj’s 6/21 against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 final ranks among the greatest spells by an Indian fast bowler in ODI cricket.

He took four wickets in one over, becoming the first Indian to achieve the feat in men’s ODIs, and then dismissed Dasun Shanaka to complete a five-wicket haul within his first 16 balls.

That matched the fastest recorded ODI five-for mark associated with Chaminda Vaas, while Ali Khan has also achieved the 16-ball feat.

Siraj later removed Kusal Mendis to finish with six wickets for 21 runs.

Sri Lanka were dismissed for only 50, and India completed a 10-wicket victory to win the Asia Cup.

The numbers were extraordinary, but the speed of the collapse made the spell even more memorable. In the space of a few overs, Siraj turned a major tournament final into one of the most dominant victories in Indian ODI history.

FAQs

What were Mohammed Siraj’s figures in the Asia Cup 2023 final?

Mohammed Siraj took 6/21 from seven overs against Sri Lanka in Colombo, his career-best ODI figures at the time.

How quickly did Mohammed Siraj take five wickets?

Siraj completed his five-wicket haul within the first 16 balls of his spell, equalling the fastest recorded ODI five-for from the start of a spell.

Did Mohammed Siraj take four wickets in one over?

Yes. Siraj dismissed Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva in the same over.

### Was Siraj the first Indian to take four wickets in an ODI over?

Yes. His four-wicket over against Sri Lanka in the 2023 Asia Cup final made him the first Indian to achieve the feat in men’s ODI cricket.

Who shares the fastest ODI five-wicket haul record?

Chaminda Vaas, Mohammed Siraj and Ali Khan have all taken their fifth wicket within the first 16 balls of a recorded ODI spell.

### How many runs did Sri Lanka score in the Asia Cup 2023 final?

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 50. India chased the target without losing a wicket and won the final by 10 wickets.