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The ongoing fourth ODI between India vs New Zealand at Hamilton is the 4090th One Day International ever played. The first ever ODI was played between England and Australia on 5th January 1971 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Since then, a total of 4090 ODIs have been played so far in 48 years at an average of 85 ODIs per year.
In those 4090 matches, players of different eras from different countries under different conditions have played innumerable destructive innings which will forever be etched in the memory of cricket fans all over the world.
Here is a list of 10 such destructive ODI innings of all time.
#10 Shane Watson’s 185 not-out against Bangladesh at Dhaka in 2011
In this match, Australia restricted Bangladesh to 229 for 7 in 50 overs. Australia opened the batting with Shane Watson and Brad Haddin.
Shane Watson was in a destructive mood from the very first over when he hit 3 fours off fast bowler Shaiful Islam. To upset Watson’s rhythm, spinners Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan were brought on from the second and third over respectively.
Watson went on a six-hitting spree against the spinners and reached his 50 off just 26 balls with 5 fours and 4 sixes. His innings was studded with his customary pull over mid-wicket for sixes. Watson was unstoppable as he reached his 6th ODI hundred off 69 balls with 11 fours and 6 sixes. He was dropped twice immediately thereafter. Watson celebrated his good fortunes by smashing Sohrawordi Shuvo for 4 consecutive sixes. He reached his 150 off 83 balls with 13 fours and 11 sixes.
In the very next over, Watson thumped 3 sixes and 1 four in an over bowled by Abdur Razzak. From a mere 27 balls, Watson jumped from 100 to 185 not-out off 96 balls with 15 fours and 15 sixes. Australia reached the target of 232 in just 26 overs. Watson could have got to his double hundred while chasing had the target been around 250. In the end, he finished up scoring 80% of his team’s total with an individual strike rate of 193.
Watson’s innings went unnoticed as it was against a weak team like Bangladesh and that too while chasing a modest total. Nonetheless, it was one of his typical murderous innings.
#9 Virat Kohli’s 100 against Australia at Jaipur in 2013
This was the second match of the seven-match series. Australia won the first match and was all set to win the second match too when they scored a mammoth 359 for 5 in 50 overs. Australia had a decent bowling attack in Mitchell Johnson, Clint Mckay, Shane Watson, and James Faulkner to defend this massive total.
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan gave India a magnificent start adding 176 runs for the first wicket. Dhawan missed out on a century by 5 runs and got out in the 27th over of the innings. Rohit was well set on 63 when Kohli joined him with India needing another 189 runs in 24 overs @ 7.66.
Kohli immediately got into his stride smashing Faulkner for a four and six in one over. McKay, Shane Watson, and Doherty were not spared as Kohli repeatedly stepped out to spank them for sixes. Kohli reached his 50 off 27 balls with 3 fours and 4 sixes. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma completed his century and the 100-run partnership between Kohli and Sharma was reached in a mere 62 balls. Kohli’s contribution was 68.
Kohli feasted on the bowling of the spinners Doherty and Maxwell and reached his 100 off 52 balls with 8 fours and 7 sixes at a strike rate of 192. It was the fastest ODI hundred by an Indian. Kohli, normally a reluctant six-hitter, clobbered 7 sixes in that innings. India reached the stiff target of 360 in the 44th over itself for the loss of only one wicket. Rohit Sharma remained not out on 141.
#8 Saeed Anwar’s 194 against India at Chennai in 1997
This was a must-win qualifying match of the Pepsi Independence Cup to commemorate the 50th anniversary of India’s independence. Pakistan lost Shahid Afridi early in the innings. When Afridi walked back to the pavilion, little did he know that he had an active role to play even after his dismissal.
Saeed Anwar, the tormentor of Indians on so many earlier occasions, was at it yet again. When in form, Saeed Anwar was one of the most stylish left-hand batsmen of his time and a real treat to watch.
Anwar first put on 89 runs for the second wicket with Rameez Raja. Then he added 116 runs with Ijaz Ahmed for the third wicket. Anwar was the dominant partner. In between, he had Shahid Afridi as the runner from the 19th over which made his job much easier. All he had to do was to smack the ball around and watch Shahid Afridi run all those runs for him. To Anwar’s credit, most of his runs came in boundaries.
Anwar was elegant in his off-side drives and with his graceful lofted shots on the on-side. Anwar took a special liking to Anil Kumble whom he hit for 26 runs in one over including 3 sixes. Anwar made 194 off 146 balls with 22 fours and 5 sixes.
During the course of his innings, Anwar broke Vivian Richards 13-year-old record for the highest individual ODI score of 189 and was about to become the first player to score a double century in ODI. However, he missed the mark narrowly when he got out for 194 in the 47th over. When he was finished, he got a standing ovation from the sporting Chennai crowd. Pakistan won that match by 35 runs. Anwar’s record for highest individual ODI score remained intact for 12 years.
The use of runners came under severe criticism after Anwar’s Chennai innings in which he batted with a runner for almost 30 overs. But it took another 14 years for ICC to do away with the employment of runners for injured batsmen.
#7 Sachin Tendulkar’s 175 against Australia at Hyderabad in 2009
Australia batted first and scored a massive 350 with contributions from Shaun Marsh (112), Shane Watson (93) and Cameron White (57). India started the run chase with a required run rate of 7 per over.
Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag put on 66 for the first wicket before India lost Sehwag (38), Gautam Gambhir (8), Yuvraj Singh (9) and M.S. Dhoni (6) in quick succession. But Sachin was solid at the other end as he started his innings with his trademark straight-driven four to show that he was in tremendous form on that day. He reached his 50 off 47 balls with 7 fours.
Soon after reaching his 50, Sachin pulled Shane Watson over mid-wicket for a six. In the next over, he twice jumped out of the crease to off-spinner Nathan Hauritz and deposited him over long-off. India reached 150 in the 22nd over out of Sachin’s contribution was 92.
Meanwhile, Dhoni departed at the other end and Suresh Raina got a life off the very first ball he faced. Amidst huge drama at the other end, Sachin reached his 45th ODI hundred which came off 81 balls with 10 fours and 3 sixes.
Sachin and Suresh Raina added 137 runs in 19 overs as Sachin reached his 150 and Raina, his 50. India reached 299 for 4 in 42 overs with Sachin and Raina firmly set. India needed 52 in 48 balls with 6 wickets in hand. It was India’s match to lose from there.
India did exactly that as Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh perished to poor shots as India slumped to 300 for 6 which put additional pressure on Sachin. But with Ravindra Jadeja, Sachin added 32 runs and India needed 19 runs off 18 balls with Sachin at the wicket.
However, the 48th over bowled by Clint Mckay was the turning point of the match. With the first ball, McKay struck as Tendulkar’s paddle-scoop landed straight into the hands of the fine-leg fielder Haurtiz. Tendulkar’s great innings came to an end as he was dismissed for 175 off 141 balls.
In the same over Jadeja ran himself out and India ended up losing the match by a narrow margin of 3 runs. Another heartbreak for Sachin. This could have been the first time in an ODI that a batsman after scoring 175 while chasing ended up on the losing side. But Sachin once again proved that day that he was the one man army for Team India for close to two decades.
#6 Herschelle Gibbs’s 175 against Australia at Johannesburg in 2006
This was the famous match in which South Africa created history by chasing down a record target of 435. Herschelle Gibbs was instrumental in South Africa’s record chase.
Gibbs was slow to start with as he reached his first fifty off 46 balls with 6 fours and one six. Graeme Smith, his partner at the other end, took care of the scoring smacking 90 off 55 balls which kept South Africa in the hunt.
Smith and Gibbs added 187 runs in 20 overs. Gibbs’s second fifty came off just 33 balls as he reached his century off 79 balls with 11 fours and 3 sixes. Because of Gibbs’ efforts, South Africa could maintain their required run rate of 8.70 right through the innings.
Gibbs reached his third fifty in 21 balls as the Aussie new bowler Mick Lewis was taken to the cleaners when he conceded 113 runs in his 10 overs. Gibbs finally got out for 175 off 111 balls with 21 fours and 7 sixes. Mark Boucher complemented Gibbs effort with a half-century and South Africa successfully completed the record chase with one wicket and one ball to spare.
#5 M.S. Dhoni’s 183 not out against Sri Lanka at Jaipur in 2005
This was Dhoni’s 22ndODI. Dhoni had earlier scored 148 against Pakistan at Vishakapatnam. In that match, Dhoni came in at No.3 while batting first. In the Jaipur match, Sri Lanka set 299 runs for India to win. Sri Lanka had two champion bowlers in Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan.
Sehwag launched the Indian innings in style easing the first ball through covers for a four. However, India lost Sachin Tendulkar in that first over itself to Vaas. Then, Captain Rahul Dravid made his master move by sending Dhoni at No.3 with a free license to go after the bowling. Dhoni was equal to the task from the start of his innings.
Dhoni started his innings with an extraordinary six off Vaas over cover fence. Dhoni repeated that shot in Vaas’s next over with the same result. Maharoof was taken apart as his first 2 overs went for 27 runs. Dhoni that day outclassed the great Sehwag and reached his 50 off 40 balls with 6 fours and 3 sixes. Even the loss of Sehwag for 39 did not stop Dhoni from going for his shots.
Rahul Dravid joined Dhoni who was on 56. Before Dravid could reach double figures, Dhoni got into his 90s off 70 balls. Even Muralidharan was not spared either. However, Dhoni slowed down a little bit in the 90s and reached his 100 off 85 balls with 10 fours and 5 sixes.
Dhoni lost Dravid at the other end and Yuvraj Singh joined him. Dhoni kept smacking Maharoof, Chandana, and Dilshan and reached his 150 off 123 balls. Chandana ended up conceding 83 runs in his 10 overs while Maharoof leaked 50 runs in 7 overs.
Dhoni finished off the match in style with his 10th six of the innings off Dilshan. Dhoni remained not out on 183 off 145 balls with a total of 15 fours and 10 sixes. India chased down a stiff target with 23 balls to spare. His 183 was the highest score by a wicket-keeper in ODIs.
During his tenure as Captain, Dravid gambled on so many occasions and promoted Dhoni up the order and Dhoni never failed him. His Jaipur effort was a testimony to that.
#4 Sir Vivian Richards’s 189 not out against England at Manchester in 1984
Vivian Richards was the most feared batsman of the 80s. His arrogant and confident stride to the wicket was a sight to behold. In his heydays, Richards used to dominate bowlers all over the world and made them regret their decision for having chosen bowling as an occupation.
Richards’ most destructive innings came in the first ODI between England and the West Indies at Manchester in 1984. In this match, West Indies, after electing to bat, were struggling at 102 for 7. Fortunately for the Windies, Richards was holding one end up on 65 while wickets kept tumbling at the other end. Richards, on that day, was at his fluent best with his on-side play as also with his inside out off-side shots.
At the fall of the seventh wicket, all-rounder Eldine Baptiste came to the crease and added 59 runs for the eighth wicket before he was caught behind off Ian Botham. Soon West Indies were reduced to 166 for 9 when last man Michael Holding joined the Antiguan.
Richards was in the 90s when Holding joined him. He duly completed his century which came off 112 balls with 12 fours. Immediately after completing his century Richards launched into the England bowlers. With the last man Holding as a company, he plundered the English bowling to all parts of the ground. Richards reached his 150 with 15 fours and 4 sixes. He added 106 runs for the last wicket with Holding, out of which Holding’s contribution was a mere 12 runs.
Richards finished with 189 not out off 170 balls with 21 fours and 5 sixes. All his 5 sixes were hit after reaching his hundred. Richards made 189 out of the team’s score of 272 contributing to 70% of his team’s total.
Richards contributed with the ball too claiming 2 wickets and the West Indies won that match by 104 runs. A score of 189 in 1984 was never heard off. Richards was one of those pioneers of such massive scores in that era.
#3 Kapil Dev’s 175 not out against Zimbabwe in World Cup 1983
Even after 35 years, the innings that Kapil Dev played in the World Cup 1983 was considered by many as the best ever ODI innings played by an Indian. Scoring 175 runs in those days was a huge achievement, more so when the team’s total was 17 for 5. It was a must-win game for India to stay alive in the Cricket World Cup.
Apart from Kapil Dev who was a genuine all-rounder, India had bowlers like Roger Binny, Ravi Shastri and Madan Lal who could all bat more than a bit. Even the wicket-keeper Kirmani was a decent bat.
Kapil first added 60 runs with Roger Binny and 62 runs with Madan Lal before Syed Kirmani joined him with the score on 140 for 8. Kapil knew Kirmani could stick around and in his company, he reached his 100 off 72 balls. Even after reaching his hundred, the Indian skipper was determined to bat through the innings since it was now or never for his team in the World Cup.
Kapil Dev remained not-out on 175 which came off 138 balls with 16 fours and 6 sixes. Kapil added 126 runs with Syed Kirmani for the 9th wicket who contributed 24.
Kapil Dev came back to bowl 11 tight overs conceding 32 runs and claiming a wicket. That innings from Kapil Dev changed the face of Indian cricket as India went on to win that World Cup. This made India a superpower in the world of cricket.
#2 AB De Villiers’s 149 against the West Indies at Johannesburg in 2015
Words cannot describe AB Devilliers’s innings of 149 off a mere 44 balls with 9 fours and 16 sixes at a strike rate of 339. Only AB could have played that kind of an innings. De Villiers made his intentions clear with a boundary off the first ball he faced.
De Villiers came to the crease in the 39th over after the South African openers Hashim Amla and Rossouw put on 247 runs for the first wicket. When AB came to the crease Amla was batting on 114 runs. Before Amla could move from 114 to 118, De Villiers raced to 68 0ff 20 balls. His 50 came off 16 balls was one ball quicker than Sanath Jayasuriya's record of 17 balls.
Overs 40, 41, 42, 43 & 44 fetched 22,12, 24,18 & 19 runs respectively. Amla and De Villiers put on 100 runs for the second wicket in 34 balls and AB’s contribution to the partnership was 82 runs.
It was a nightmare for all the West Indies bowlers. Jerome Taylor went for 95 runs in his 10 overs while Jason Holder conceded 91. Part-time bowler Dwayne Smith was plundered for 68 runs in 4 overs.
De Villiers reached his 100 off 31 balls with 8 fours and 10 sixes. AB completed his century with a six off Jason Holder. This was the fastest ODI century surpassing the previous best of Corey Anderson in 36 balls. After a relatively quiet 45th over, over numbers 46, 47, 48 & 49 yielded 23,11,12 and 30 runs respectively. De Villiers got out in the last over for 149 off 44 balls with 9 fours and 16 sixes. It was an incredible innings from an incredible player.
#1 Rohit Sharma’s 264 against Sri Lanka at Kolkata in 2014
Rohit Sharma and Eden Gardens are made for each other. He always reserves his best at the Eden Gardens. It was no different in the fourth ODI against Sri Lanka in 2014. This time around Sharma was lucky to be dropped by Thisara Perera on 4, which proved to be the costliest miss in ODI cricket history.
India and Rohit Sharma started the innings quietly as India reached hundred in the 22nd over for the loss of Ajinkya Rahane and Ambati Rayadu. Rohit, as always, slowly reached his 50 off 72 balls. However, in the company of Virat Kohli, Sharma accelerated to his 100 off 100 balls with 12 fours and one six. He reached his hundred in the 32nd over of the innings and the team’s total at the end of that over was 186 for 2.
Rohit switched over to top gear from then on and reached his next 50 off 25 balls. In between, Kohli was run-out in a mix-up with Rohit which made him more determined to play really big innings.
He took exactly 26 more balls to reach his next fifty and 200 off 151 balls. In the process, Rohit became the first batsmen to score 2 double hundreds in ODIs. Rohit got to his double hundred in the 46th over of the innings and only 4 more overs were left for him to do further damage.
From 200 to 264, Rohit hit 9 fours and 4 sixes totaling 60 out of 64 runs. He got out to the last ball of the innings for 264 off 173 balls with 33 fours (a new record) and 9 sixes at a strike rate of 152. He added 128 runs for the fifth wicket in the last 10 overs with Robin Uthappa who contributed a meager 16. Such was the total domination of the hit man. In reply, the entire Sri Lankan team managed to score only 251.
Rohit Sharma’s highest individual record score of 264 would definitely stand the test of time.
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