Highest individual score at each batting position in One-day Internationals

Records in sports are responsible for giving it strength and backing. Since the advent of the sport of cricket, many players have gone by and have left an indelible impact on the game. Since the beginning of international cricket in 1877, many records have been created and broken.

It is often said that records are meant to be broken and this statement has evidently been confirmed by various players of the new generation breaking past the benchmarks set by their predecessors.

In a sport like cricket, where the successive and constant change in rules is resulting in the shift of balance of the game towards the batting side, such remarks may become a frightening reality.

Also, the increased infrastructure for the sport and the constant improvements in playing techniques has resulted in better performances by the contemporary players. Many batting records have been broken and created in the past decade. Notable among them are various individual batting records set by the batsmen.

Here, we will discuss the highest individual score for each batting position in the ODIs:

1. Martin Guptill- 237*

The Kiwi opener holds the record of the highest individual score by an opener taking the first strike in an ODI. He took the West Indies bowling attack by storm in the 4th Quarter Final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. He went on to score a double hundred and broke numerous records in that process.

His 237* in that eventful match is the highest Individual score in a men’s World Cup match. During the course of his innings, he struck at the rate of 145.39 runs per 100 balls. He crossed the boundary 35 times including 11 maximums.

With the help of his double century, the BlackCaps managed to score 393 runs at the loss of 6 wickets. In return, the men from the Caribbean could score only 13 runs more than Guptill’s individual score as they suffered a defeat by 143 runs and were knocked out of the competition.

2. Rohit Sharma- 264

The Mumbai batsman is the only batsman in international cricket with multiple double hundreds in ODIs under his belt. His 264 run innings was his second double hundred which came against Sri Lanka in the year 2014. Interestingly, he followed it up with another double ton against the same opposition three years later, taking his total tally to 3 ODI double centuries.

His 264 run innings is the highest individual score in ODI history which was achieved by breaking the then existing record of his fellow countryman, Virender Sehwag. During the course of this innings, Rohit played with a strike rate of more than 150. The prolific right-hander struck 33 boundaries and 9 maximums in the process.

On the back of his thunderous innings, India managed to score 404 runs at the loss of 5 wickets. In return, the Sri Lankan team fell apart quickly and could not even surpass Rohit’s individual score as they crumbled for 251, handing India a comprehensive 153 run victory over the island nation.

3. Charles Coventry- 194*

The Zimbabwean batsman brought a rare window of pleasure for his cricketing team in 2009 when he broke the age-old record of Saeed Anwar and became the record-holder for the highest individual score in an ODI match until he was surpassed by the Master Blaster a year later. Coventry scored 194* in a bilateral series match against Bangladesh in August 2009 and won great applause for his heroic efforts. The African team were in a spot of bother at 111/4 when they found a saviour in Coventry.

The No.3 batsman notched up his highest score in the limited-overs format whilst rescuing his team and taking them to a respectable total. His innings was laced with 16 fours and 7 sixes. He scored 62 per cent of his team’s total as Zimbabwe managed to score 312 runs at the loss of 8 wickets.

In return, Bangladesh, powered by opener Tamim Iqbal’s then highest score of 154, managed to chase the total with 4 wickets and 13 balls to spare. Thus, unfortunately, Coventry’s blissful innings of 194 ended in a heartbreaking loss.

4. Sir Vivian Richards- 189*

The Caribbean legend is the next player on this list holding the record of highest individual ODI score at No.4 batting position. Back during the time when the limited-overs cricket was still gaining ground in the international arena and ODI cricket consisted of 60 over per innings, batsmen were quite laidback and hardly played aggressive cricket. In such a backdrop, Sir Viv Richards stood apart from his contemporary players with his explosive batting.

Sir Viv Richards was one of the respected and feared batsmen of that generation. In the first ODI of West Indies tour of England in 1984, they found themselves in a spot of bother at 7-102 when the right-handed batsman took over. He scored 69 per cent of his team’s total as they managed to put 272 runs on board at the loss of 9 wickets.

In response, the British team faltered rapidly and were bowled out for a mere 168 runs, 21 runs shorter than Sir Vivian Richards’ individual score. He also managed to scalp 2 wickets for 45 runs in the same match as West Indies clinched a victory by 104 runs.

5. AB de Villiers- 162*

Throughout decades, the same of cricket has given us some great talents, players who forced the world to take notice of their capabilities. However, none of them left such a mark on the contemporary world as the South African wicket-keeper batsman AB de Villiers. The unconventional player is highly regarded by fans in all the cricket playing nations of the world.

In World Cup 2015, de Villiers again provided us with one of the most memorable innings of the decade. In the 19th match of Pool B between South Africa and West Indies, he broke the record of fastest 150 in the history of ODI cricket, taking just 64 deliveries to reach the landmark. He went on to score 162* off just 66 balls which is also the highest score for a batsman at No.5 position.

With the help of his blitzkrieg, South Africa managed to score 408 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their allotted quota of 50 overs. In response, the Caribbean team was bowled out for 151 in just over 33 overs, thus giving a massive 257 run victory to the African nation.

6. Kapil Dev- 175*

Few innings are as heroic as the one played by the Indian captain in the must-win World Cup match against Zimbabwe in 1983. In their victorious campaign in the Prudential World Cup of 1983, the Indian team found themselves in an embarrassing position against the African nation at the beginning of the game. On the back of top-order failure, the team was reeling at 5-17 when the Captain took over the reins.

In what turned out to be one of the greatest innings of that generation, Dev managed to rescue his team out of a precarious situation. His innings, laced with 16 boundaries and 6 maximums, served as a harbinger for India’s rising dominance in international cricket. Many experts believe that Dev’s innings in that match was what gave confidence to the team that they could win the World Cup, ending the Caribbean dominance in ODI cricket.

On the back of his innings, India scored 266 runs at the loss of 8 wickets. In return, the Zimbabwean team fell 31 runs short as the spirited Indian bowling line-up bowled them out for 235 runs, thus propelling their campaign forward.

7. Luke Ronchi- 170*

Only a little percentage of players get a chance to represent a country in international cricket, let alone two nations. Luke Ronchi is one of those lucky players who got a chance to showcase his talent for multiple nations. Born in New Zealand, he migrated to Perth at an early age and played International cricket for both Australia and New Zealand.

After spending the initial years of his career in Australia, he later on moved back to his country of birth where he managed to cement his place in the national side. One of his most impactful innings was the 170* he scored against Sri Lanka in the 5th ODI of a bilateral series in New Zealand. His 170 of just 99 deliveries is the highest individual score by a batsman at No.7 batting position in the ODIs.

With the help of Ronchi’s 170* and Grant Elliot’s 104*, New Zealand managed to score 360 runs at the loss of 5 wickets. In response, the team from the island nation could muster only 252 runs before they were bowled out in the 44th over, granting a 108 run victory to the Kiwis.

8. Chris Woakes- 95*

Over the years, the pacer from England has worked hard on his batting and has evolved into a genuine all-rounder in all formats of the game. Woakes is one of the most sought after cricketers in the current generation and a lot of it can be attributed to his tight bowling and lower-order batting. Time and again, he has proved his credentials in batting and has signified his importance as a multi-dimensional player.

In the 1st ODI of Sri Lanka’s tour of England and Ireland in 2016, he got a chance to showcase his skills as a batsman. Coming in to bat at No.9, he scored 95* runs off 92 deliveries and formed a crucial partnership with Jos Buttler. His innings was laced with just 4 boundaries as he rotated the wicket continuously.

Chasing a target of 287 to win, England were in a losing position at 6-82 when Woakes joined Buttler at the crease. He stitched a match-saving 138 run partnership with Buttler as England managed to match Sri Lanka’s score at the end of their allotted 50 overs resulting in a tied match. For his heroics with the bat, he was awarded Player of the Match award.

9. Andre Russell- 92*

The Caribbean team has a knack of producing explosive all-rounders and lower-order batsmen. Even a No.11 player in their team is capable of taking apart any bowling attack on his day. The prime example of a Caribbean bowler evolving into a genuine all-rounder is Andre Russell, now known more for his batting than bowling.

The Jamaican player is an aggressive batsman who has single-handedly won games for his team from a losing position. In the 3rd ODI of India’s tour of West Indies in 2011, Russell showed his batting skills by striking 92 runs from 64 balls after coming into bat at No.9. Sixty-two runs out of his whole innings were scored through boundaries.

Because of his death over assault, Windies managed to put 225 runs on board after being reduced to 7-96. In response, the Indian team, powered by Rohit Sharma’s 86* chased down the total with 3 wickets and 22 deliveries to spare.

10. Ravi Rampaul- 86*

Something was wrong with the Indian bowling line-up in 2011, especially when they bowled against West Indies. After removing the top order cheaply, they could not contain the lower order from cutting loose and often leaked much more runs than they would have wanted. Thus, it was left to the batting line-up to chase and bring some respite to the fans and the team management.

One such instance was in the West Indies’ tour of India in late 2011. The No. 10 batsman Ravi Rampaul managed to score 86* runs of just 66 deliveries and broke the record for the highest score by a batsman at No.10 position. His innings was furnished with 6 fours and the same number of sixes.

The Windies managed to score 269 runs at the loss of 9 wickets and gave a challenging target of 270 to the Indian team. However, the Men in Blue, on the back of Kohli’s 117 and Rohit Sharma’s 90* managed to chase the target with five wickets in hand and 11 balls remaining.

11. Mohammad Amir- 58

As a bowler, Mohammad Amir has made such a profound impact on world cricket that his accomplishments with the bat often go unnoticed. Despite coming in to bat at No.10 and No.11, he has managed to outshine various proper batsmen of his team on several occasions. He has a couple of fifties to his name as well.

One of his memorable innings came against England in the 3rd ODI of Pakistan’s tour of England in 2016. Coming in at No.11 in a delicate situation, he managed to score 58 runs from 28 deliveries at a strike rate of more than 200. Around 75 per cent of his runs were scored in fours and sixes.

England had set a mammoth target of 445 for Pakistan, courtesy Alex Hales’ 171 of 122 deliveries and substantial contributions by Root, Buttler and Morgan. In response, Pakistan could manage only 275 runs in 42.4 overs before they were bowled out, thus awarding a 169 run victory to England.