Remember when a total of 250 in the 50-over match was considered mammoth?
Since One-Day cricket’s inception in 1971, when England and Australia played the first-ever ODI at Melbourne (following a rain-abandoned Test match), the format has seen a remarkable transformation. What began as essentially a shortened Test played in white clothing has evolved into a dynamic, high-scoring spectacle that has captivated billions worldwide.
The progression is striking: from John Edrich’s 82* in the very first ODI to Sachin Tendulkar breaking the 200-run barrier in 2010, and Rohit Sharma’s record-shattering 264 in 2014. ODI double centuries have become a norm now.
Whether you’re a stats junkie, a cricket historian, or just a passionate fan who loves the game, join us as we explore the highest individual scores for every year since the inception of ODI cricket in 1971.
| YEAR | BATSMEN | SCORES | OPPONENTS | VENUE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 200* | SOUTH AFRICA | Gwalior, India |
| 2011 | Virender Sehwag (IND) | 219 | WEST INDIES | Indore, India |
| 2012 | Virat Kohli (IND) | 183 | PAKISTAN | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| 2013 | Rohit Sharma (IND) | 209 | AUSTRALIA | Bengaluru, India |
| 2014 | Rohit Sharma (IND) | 264 | SRI LANKA | Kolkata, India |
| 2015 | Martin Guptill (NZ) | 237* | WEST INDIES | Wellington, New Zealand |
| 2016 | Quinton de Kock (SA) | 178 | AUSTRALIA | Centurion, South Africa |
| 2017 | Rohit Sharma (IND) | 208* | SRI LANKA | Mohali, India |
| 2018 | Fakhar Zaman (PAK) | 210* | ZIMBABWE | Bulawayo, Zimbabwe |
| 2019 | John Campbell (WI) | 179 | IRELAND | Dublin, Ireland |
| 2020 | Liton Das (BAN) | 176 | ZIMBABWE | Sylhet, Bangladesh |
| 2021 | Fakhar Zaman (PAK) | 193 | SOUTH AFRICA | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| 2022 | Ishan Kishan (IND) | 210 | BANGLADESH | Chattogram, Bangladesh |
| 2023 | Shubman Gill (IND) | 208 | NEW ZEALAND | Hyderabad, India |
| 2024 | Pathum Nissanka (SL) | 210* | AFGHANISTAN | Pallekele, Sri Lanka |
| 2025* | Ibrahim Zadran (AFG) | 177 | ENGLAND | Lahore, Pakistan |
Stats Highlights
Dennis Amiss (114*) scored the first ODI century. It was in the England’s game against West Indies in 1973.
Vivian Richards dominated the early years, recording the highest score in five different years (1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, and 1987).
Sachin Tendulkar appears the most frequently, with the highest score in six different years (1996, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010). The 200-run barrier was first broken in 2010 by Sachin Tendulkar (200* vs South Africa).
The all-time highest individual ODI score remains Rohit Sharma’s 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014. He holds the highest individual performances for the years – 2013, 2014 and 2017 (find all his double century scores here).
In fact, he has been topping the chart for the best individual score for an Indian batsman from 2019-2023. Check this tweet for instance:
Indian players have produced the most appearances in the above list, followed by the West Indies. There’s been a clear progression in the highest scores over time:
- 1970s: mostly scores under 120
- 1980s: mostly in the 130-150 range
- 1990s: pushing into the 170-190 range
- 2000s: first 200+ scores
- 2010s-2020s: multiple 200+ scores
The record for the current year 2025 belongs to Ibrahim Zadran, who scored a massive 177 against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy game. It is also the highest score for Afghanistan in ODIs and the highest in the Champions Trophy.
