Though the ODI format has gone out of trend in the recent past, with many raising questions about its long-term future, it has a great history behind it. And one of the reasons behind ODI cricket’s storied history team India. They have been part of some of the most historic moments in the format and are one of the most successful teams.
Team India has time and again given many legendary names to the world of cricket from this traditional white-ball format. Players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj, etc.. to name a few, have reached the pinnacle of ODI cricket at some point of time in their illustrious careers. They are one of the reasons for the popularity and success of this most extended white-ball format of the game in the last few decades. Some of these cricketers mentioned above are proud owners of some of the top individual scores made by Indian batters in ODIs.
We will take a sneak peek at some of them – the below list is the top 10 ODI scores of all time by an Indian batsman in ODI Cricket.
Highest Individual Scores for India in ODIs
| Player | Score (Balls) | SR | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 264 (173) | 152.60 | Sri Lanka | Eden Gardens | 13 Nov 2014 |
| Virender Sehwag | 219 (149) | 146.97 | West Indies | Indore | 8 Dec 2011 |
| Ishan Kishan | 210 (131) | 160.30 | Bangladesh | Chattogram | 10 Dec 2022 |
| Rohit Sharma | 209 (158) | 132.27 | Australia | Bengaluru | 2 Nov 2013 |
| Rohit Sharma | 208* (153) | 135.94 | Sri Lanka | Mohali | 13 Dec 2017 |
| Shubman Gill | 208 (149) | 139.59 | New Zealand | Hyderabad | 18 Jan 2023 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 200* (147) | 136.05 | South Africa | Gwalior | 24 Feb 2010 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 186* (150) | 124.00 | New Zealand | Hyderabad | 8 Nov 1999 |
| MS Dhoni | 183* (145) | 126.20 | Sri Lanka | Jaipur | 31 Oct 2005 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 183* (158) | 115.82 | Sri Lanka | Taunton | 26 May 1999 |
#1 Rohit Sharma – 264 (173) vs Sri Lanka, 13th November 2014, Kolkata
Rohit Sharma, popularly known as the “Hitman,” sits pretty at the top of the charts even close to 8 years after he slammed a sensational 264 against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens. This was the Indian captain’s 2nd of his 3 double centuries in the ODI format. In this epic knock of his, Rohit smashed 42 boundaries, out of which 9 were maximums. This batted Sri Lanka entirely out of the game as India scored 404/5 in their allotted 50 overs. The visitors could only manage 251 in their response, and India won the game comfortably by 153 runs.
The iconic 264 by the Indian opener remains the highest individual score ever in ODI innings. Find out the country-wise highest scorers in ODI here.
#2 Virender Sehwag – 219 (149) vs West Indies, 8th December 2011, Indore
Virender Sehwag holds the distinction of having scored the highest individual runs in an innings while captaining his side in ODIs. You can find the top ten highest captains knock in ODIs here.
The swashbuckling right-handed opening batsman from India made a jaw-dropping 219 off just 149 runs to become the only 2nd double centurion in ODI cricket after Sachin Tendulkar. His incredible knock included 7 sixes and 25 fours(joint 2nd most in an ODI inning) and entertained a packed crowd at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
India made 418 runs courtesy of this magnificent effort by Sehwag and defeated the Windies by 153 runs.
#3 Ishan Kishan – 210 (131) vs Bangladesh, 10th December 2022, Chattogram
The sixth Indian ODI double century from the youngster came in the last match of the 3-match ODI series in Bangladesh. Ishan Kishan, replacing the injured Rohit Sharma, ensured he took full advantage of the opportunity. Despite India losing the first two games and, thus, the series, Ishan Kishan made some great shots to bring on his first-ever ODI double ton that included 24 fours and 10 sixes.
Ishan added 290 for the 2nd wicket along with the legendary Virat Kohli, who scored his 44th ODI century in the same game.
#4 Rohit Sharma – 209 (158) vs Australia, 2nd November 2013, Bengaluru
On an overcast evening at Bangalore Chinnaswamy Stadium, we witnessed the making of a legendary opening batsman in white ball cricket. Though Rohit played many games before this, he wasn’t that consistent and this 209 from 158 (his 1st double century in ODIs) put him on the map as a leading opening batsman in world cricket. From then on, there was no looking back for the Rohit “Hitman” Sharma. He smoked 16 sixes out of the part in his career-defining knock of 209.
India made a humongous 383/6 against a champion Aussie team and won the game by 57 runs & series 4-2.
#5 Rohit Sharma – 208* (153) vs Sri Lanka, 13th December 2017, Mohali
Rohit Sharma makes yet another entry into this list and hopefully won’t be the last. Coming from a back of a forgettable loss in the previous ODI as captain, Rohit stepped up scoring his 3rd double century in ODIs to date. His spectacular knock of unbeaten 208 included 12 sixes and helped India post 392 on the board in 50 overs.
India won the game convincingly by 141 runs and later went on to win the series as a skipper against the Island nation.
#6 Shubman Gill – 208 (149) vs New Zealand, 18th January 2023, Hyderabad
The latest entrant to the 200-club is the young Indian opener, Shubman Gill. Well-backed by his captain, Rohit Sharma, Gill made sure he positioned himself as the Indian opener for the next few seasons with an earth-shattering innings against the traveling Kiwis, spearheaded by Lockie Ferguson.
What made this innings more special is that it came in a challenging condition of an uneven bounce in Hyderabad. When other Indian batsmen struggled to prolong their stay in the middle, Gill anchored the innings before finishing it on the greater high. The knock was made of 19 fours and 9 sixes.
India made 349 runs batting first and managed to win the game in the final over, thanks to a character-defining chase from the New Zealand No. 7, Michael Bracewell. With a score of 140, Bracewell found himself on the list of top scores by any player at No. 7 in ODI.
#7 Sachin Tendulkar – 200* (147) vs South Africa, 24th February 2010, Gwalior
For close to 4 decades, there was not a single double century in ODI cricket. The likes of Saeed Anwar from Pakistan and Charles Coventry from Zimbabwe came close to hitting one, making 194 each. And it was the batting maestro from India, Sachin Tendulkar who broke the jinx and paved the way for 7 more double centuries in ODIs in the last decade. Find out 10 Sachin records that can be termed “UNBREAKABLE” here.
Sachin scored a breathtaking 200* against a world-class South African attack at Gwalior and this first-off-a-kind innings included 25 boundaries as India piled up 401/3 runs. The hosts then went on to win the game by a huge margin of 153 runs.
#8 Sachin Tendulkar – 186* (150) vs New Zealand, 8th November 1999, Hyderabad
The legendary batter from India once again makes an appearance here and it was one of the earliest instances of a batter getting close to the 200-run mark, a rare feat those days. Sachin managed to pile up a whopping unbeaten 186 runs at Hyderabad and shared a then record 330 runs for the 2nd wicket with Rahul Dravid who also made 153 runs.
The duo helped India amass 376/2 which was among the highest scores back then and defeated the Kiwis by a whopping 174 runs.
#9 MS Dhoni – 183* (145) vs Sri Lanka, 31st October 2005, Jaipur
Not even 1 into international cricket, a long-haired MS Dhoni announced his arrival to the big arena in style with a breathtaking 183* vs a good Lankan side at Jaipur in 2005. Chasing a relatively big target of 299, Dhoni was promoted to no.3 by skipper Rahul Dravid, and the keeper-batsman proved his worth, scoring 183 of those and helping India reach the target inside 47 overs. This remains the highest-ever individual score by a wicket-keeper in ODIs, and with this, India found a reliable middle-order for a decade to follow.
In his destructive knock, Dhoni smashed 10 sixes and 15 fours and made himself a household name in the country.
#10 Sourav Ganguly – 183* (158) vs Sri Lanka, 26th May 1999, Taunton
Like Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, the current BCCI president, had 183 as his highest score in ODI cricket. The left-hander made a scintillating what is popularly called a big daddy hundred in a 1999 World Cup game against Sri Lanka at Taunton. The then defending champions had no clue about the carnage of Ganguly-Dravid(made 145) and their then-record 318-run stand for the 2nd wicket. India eventually made 373-3 and won the game by 157 runs.
This remains the highest score by an Indian in a World Cup fixture and is etched in the memory of many due to the contribution of 2 of India’s biggest cricketing legends.
#11 Virat Kohli – 183 (148) vs Pakistan, 18th March 2012, Mirpur
Another Indian skipper whose highest score ODIs stands at 183 is Virat Kohli. He achieved this score against the arch-rivals Pakistan in an Asia Cup fixture at Mirpur in 2012. `India was chasing a daunting target of 329, and a relatively inexperienced Virat Kohli played one of his many stupendous knocks in this format to take over the line with more than 2 overs to spare. With this, he ascertained himself as one of the best chase masters in the history of ODI cricket.
The knock included 22 fours & a six, and it was even more memorable as it was the last ODI game for the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who retired after this match.
Related: Which cricketing pair has the highest overall partnership scores in ODI?
