When a batter spends a lot of time on the crease, it not only fills him with confidence but also frustrates the bowler. Hence, it becomes easier to score runs with time. It is important for a batter to bat long so that the team could reach a big total and also, chase down targets easily. India is known to produce some of the best batters in the world. The nation also holds the record for hitting most individual double centuries (seven) in ODI cricket. In this article, we will take a look at the top ten highest individual scores for India in ODI cricket.
1. Rohit Sharma Vs. Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma stands in the first position of this list with his record knock of 264 runs against Sri Lanka in 2014. While playing with a strike rate of 152.60, Sharma hit 33 fours and nine sixes to power India to a total of 404 runs. In reply, the Sri Lankan batters could score only 251 runs which was 13 runs less than Rohit’s score.
2. Virendra Sehwag Vs. West Indies
Moving ahead, we have Virendra Sehwag, who put together 219 runs against West Indies during the bilateral series of 2011. With the help of 25 fours and seven sixes, Sehwag registered a strike rate of 146.97. After making 418 runs in the first inning, India put up a brilliant bowling display and bowled out West indies for only 265 runs.
3. Ishan Kishan Vs. Bangladesh
On number three, we have Ishan Kishan’s knock of 210 runs from just 131 balls. This inning comprised 24 fours and ten sixes and led India to a total of 409 runs. Following this, the Indian bowlers put up an excellent bowling display and Bangladesh got all-out after the 34th over for only 182 runs.
4. Rohit Sharma Vs. Australia
The 209-run knock of Rohit Sharma from the Australia tour of India in 2013 makes way to the fourth place on this list. The 158-ball inning included twelve fours and sixteen sixes. India registered a victory by 56 runs in this match as they successfully defended their total of 383 runs by bowling out Australia in the 46th over.
5. Rohit Sharma Vs. Sri Lanka
Next up on the list, is another knock from Rohit Sharma. He played an unbeaten inning of 208 runs against Sri Lanka during the bilateral series between the two nations in 2017. He recorded a strike rate of 135.94 as he hit thirteen fours and twelve sixes in the inning. In the end, India emerged victorious by 141 runs.
6. Shubman Gill Vs. New Zealand
Now, we move on to a recent knock of 208 runs from the bat of Shubman Gill. The youngster hit nineteen fours and nine sixes in his 149-ball inning to record a strike rate of 139.59. This knock powered India to a total of 349 runs which proved to be enough as the Kiwi batters got all-out for 337 runs.
7. Sachin Tendulkar Vs. South Africa
Sachin Tendulkar makes his way to this list with an unbeaten knock of 200 runs against South Africa in 2010. He bagged 25 fours and three sixes in 147 balls to guide the team to a giant total of 401 runs in the first inning. In reply, the South African batters could score only 248 runs and thus, faced a huge defeat by 153 runs.
8. Sachin Tendulkar Vs. New Zealand
Once again, we have Sachin Tendulkar, taking the eighth spot this time, with his unbeaten knock of 186 runs. With the help of 20 fours and three sixes in 150 balls, he helped India in putting up 376 runs on the board during the New Zealand tour of India in 1999. The hosts won the match by 174 runs.
9. MS Dhoni Vs. Sri Lanka
On the ninth spot of this list, we have Mahendra Singh Dhoni who scored 183 runs during the Sri Lanka tour of India in 2005. While remaining not out in the end, Dhoni played with a strike rate of 126.20 and hit fifteen fours and ten sixes in his inning. He made Sri Lanka’s total of 298 runs easy to chase and India won by six wickets.
10. Sourav Ganguly Vs. Sri Lanka
The ultimate knock on the list is Sourav Ganguly’s 183-run inning against Sri Lanka from the ICC World Cup of 1999. Ganguly played 158 balls, out of which he hit seventeen for a four and seven for a six. This knock led India to 373 runs in the first inning. Later, the Indian bowlers finished the job by restricting the opposition to only 216 runs.
