Country Wise Highest Individual Score In ODI Cricket

One-day International [ODI] cricket has changed beyond recognition in the last decade. The advent of two new balls from either end and change in fielding restriction has skewed the favor heavily in the favor of the batsmen.

And, so in the last 10-12 years, we have seen several batters notch up individual scores which were unheard of in the past.

And, in doing so, they have gone on to break records of the highest individual score in their country’s history.

On that note, here’s a look at country-wise highest individual scores in ODI cricket.

Country Wise Highest Individual Score In ODI Cricket

India- Rohit Sharma 264 vs Sri Lanka, 2014

Rohit Sharma impinged his name in the uppermost echelons of ODI cricket when he smashed the Sri Lankans to the tune of 264 in 2014 to become the first-ever batsman to score a 250+ score in international 50-over cricket.

Sharma, who was coming off a layoff due to injury, was dropped by Thisara Perera when he was on 4, and the ‘Hitman’ proceeded to make the visitors pay big time.

It was a typical Rohit Sharma innings where he scored his first 100 runs at run-a-ball before going bonkers in the second half.

Sharma scored his last 164 runs in just 73 balls, and by doing that, he not only became the first batsman to breach Mt.250 in ODI cricket but he also broke Virender Sehwag’s record of the highest individual score (219) in the format.

#OnThisDay in 2014, Rohit Sharma went big!

The Indian opener smashed 264, the highest ever ODI score ?

The worst part? Sri Lanka dropped him when he was on 4 ? pic.twitter.com/E6wowdoGUL

— ICC (@ICC) November 13, 2019

 

Rohit finished with 264 off 173 deliveries to help India post 404 in 50 overs. In return, Sri Lanka fell 13 runs short of Rohit’s total and were bowled out for 251.

Rohit’s 264 still remains the highest individual score in ODI cricket.

Australia- Shane Watson 185* vs Bangladesh, 2011

It is fair to say that Shane Watson was at the height of his powers as a batsman between 2009-11 in all formats of the game.

And, poor Bangladesh found that out first hand in April 2011, when Watson smoked their bowling attack to all corners of the stadium in Dhaka.

The extent of Watson’s domination can be gauged from the fact that he scored 185 (off 96 balls)  out of a total of 232 during Australia’s run chase of 230.

Watson smashed as many as 15 fours and 15 monstrous sixes during his whirlwind knock and broke Matthew Hayden’s record of highest individual score in ODI cricket. Hayden had scored 181 against New Zealand in 2007.

Apart from breaking that record, Watson also created a world record of hitting most sixes in a single inning, but that was eventually broken by Rohit Sharma, who stroked 16 sixes during his 209 against Australia in 2013.

England- Jason Roy 180 vs Australia, 2018

After having suffered a humiliating 0-4 Ashes defeat Down Under, England bounced back brilliantly in the ODI series that followed and that main architect of it was swashbuckling opener Jason Roy, who hammered a whirlwind 180 in the first game of the 5-match series at the MCG.

Roy’s 180 off 151 helped England chase down 305 in a canter as he stitched a brilliant 221-run partnership with Joe Root, who himself scored an unbeaten 91 off 110 balls.

His 180 still remains the highest individual score by an English batsman in ODI cricket.

Pakistan- Fakhar Zaman 210* vs Zimbabwe, 2018

Fakhar Zaman announced himself to the cricketing world with a match-winning hundred against arch-rivals India in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy.

A year later, he etched his name in history books as he became the first Pakistani batter (and to date the only one) to score an ODI double-hundred.

Zaman achieved the feat against Zimbabwe during the 4th ODI of the 5-match series in Bulawayo.

The swashbuckling southpaw smashed 210 off 156 balls- an innings which included 24 fours and 5 sixes- to break Saeed Anwar’s record of the highest individual score by a Pakistani (194 vs India in 1997).

New Zealand- Martin Guptill 237* vs West Indies, 2015

Martin Guptill chose the biggest stage of them all to notch up New Zealand’s highest individual score in the format (237*) and the second-highest by a batsman after Rohit Sharma.

Guptill achieved the feat against the West Indies in the Quarter-Final of the 2015 World Cup.

The opener smashed as many as 24 fours and 11 sixes during his unbeaten 163-ball 237 to help New Zealand post an eventual match-winning score of 6/393 and set up a semi-final clash against South Africa.

His 237* still remains the second-highest individual score in 50-over cricket.

South Africa- Gary Kirsten 188* vs UAE, 1996

Gary Kirsten etched his name in history books during the 1996 World Cup encounter against the United Arab Emirates as he broke Sir Viv Richards’ record of the highest individual score in 50-over cricket.

Richards, who had smashed 189* against England in 1984, held the record for the highest individual score in ODIs for as many as 12 years before it was finally broken by Kirsten in the 1996 World Cup.

Kirsten smashed an unbeaten 155-ball 188 against the UAE-an innings which included 13 fours and 4 sixes during a league-stage encounter.

While he was overtaken by Saeed Anwar in 1997 after the Pakistan opener smashed a whirlwind 194 against India, Kirsten still holds the record of the highest individual score by a South African in the format.

Zimbabwe- Charles Coventry- 194 vs Bangladesh, 2009

Charles Coventry shattered record books during an ODI game against Bangladesh in 2009 when he went on to equal the long-standing record of the highest individual score in ODI cricket.

Coventry launched a stunning assault on the Bangladeshi bowling unit as he smashed them for a whirlwind 194 off 156 balls- an innings which included 16 fours and 7 sixes- to help Zimbabwe post 6-312 in 50 overs.

However, he ended up on a losing note as Tamim Iqbal smoked a belligerent 154 to help the visitors overhaul the target.  His 194, however, still remains the highest individual score by a Zimbabwe batsman.

Bangladesh- Liton Das- 176 vs Zimbabwe, 2020

Three days after Tamim Iqbal has smashed a belligerent 158 against Zimbabwe to notch up the highest individual score by a Bangladeshi batter in 50-over cricket, his opener partner Liton Das bettered it as he racked up a 143-ball 176.

Das stitched a 292-run-opening stand with Tamim Iqbal, who himself scored an unbeaten 109-ball 128.

Das’ innings included as many as 16 fours and 8 sixes and his partnership with Tamim Iqbal, helped Bangladesh put up an eventual match-winning total of 3/322.

West Indies- Chris Gayle 215 vs Zimbabwe, 2015

The ‘Universe Boss’ joined the ‘200 Club’ during a 2015 World Cup encounter against Zimbabwe to become the first Caribbean cricket to achieve the magnanimous feat.

Bowling first, Zimbabwe had got off to a great start as Tinashe Panyangara knocked over Dwayne Smith for a second-ball duck.

But, little did the African nation know that they were in a for a proper annihilation courtesy of the likes of Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels.

In a sustained assault that continued till the last ball of the innings, Chris Gayle (215 off 147 balls) and Marlon Samuels (156*off 133 balls) smashed the Zimbabwean bowlers to all corners of the Manuka Oval.

Gayle hammered a whirlwind double-ton with the help of 10 fours and as many as 16 brutal sixes to not only notch up the highest score by a West Indies batsman in the format but also pave the way for them to smash a match-winning 2/372 in 50 overs.

Sri Lanka- Sanath Jayasuriya 189 vs India, 2000

If you are an Indian fan, then you would want to skip this point as it’s certain to bring back haunted memories.

Sanath Jayasuriya loved batting against India and in the final of a tri-series in Sharjah in October 2000, he once again displayed that to the hilt as he smashed the hapless Indian bowling unit to the tune of 189 off 161 balls.

It was an assault for ages and at one point, it looked like he would not only go past Saeed Anwar’s 194 but also become the first double-centurion in the format.

Alas, that was not to be as he was eventually stumped on a wide off the bowling of Sourav Ganguly.

The damage had already been done though as Sri Lanka racked up 299 in 50 overs. And, to add further salt to the wounds, Chaminda Vaas (5/14) and Muttiah Muralitharan (3/6) ran through India’s batting unit to bowl them out for a mere 54.

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