One Day International (ODI) cricket is known for teams starting out slow in the initial overs to build their innings. Teams then capitalise on that stable start to put maximum runs on the scoreboard, with some teams even posting the highest team totals in ODIs.
But sometimes things go south quickly, and teams even grapple to put up a competitive total. This either happens due to batting mistakes or the bowling attack being too fierce.
Something similar happened in 2004 when Zimbabwe’s batters couldn’t find any answers against Sri Lanka’s strong pace attack. Zimbabwe ended up scoring the lowest team total of 35 runs in the ODI format.
In this article, let’s take a look at the lowest team scores in ODI cricket.
Lowest Team Scores in ODI
| Team | Score | Overs | Innings | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zimbabwe | 35 | 18.0 | 1st | Sri Lanka | Harare | 25 Apr 2004 |
| U.S.A. | 35 | 12.0 | 1st | Nepal | Kirtipur | 12 Feb 2020 |
| Canada | 36 | 18.4 | 1st | Sri Lanka | Paarl | 19 Feb 2003 |
| Zimbabwe | 38 | 15.4 | 1st | Sri Lanka | Colombo (SSC) | 8 Dec 2001 |
| Sri Lanka | 43 | 20.1 | 2nd | South Africa | Paarl | 11 Jan 2012 |
| Pakistan | 43 | 19.5 | 1st | West Indies | Cape Town | 25 Feb 1993 |
| Zimbabwe | 44 | 24.5 | 1st | Bangladesh | Chattogram | 3 Nov 2009 |
| Canada | 45 | 40.3 | 1st | England | Manchester | 13 Jun 1979 |
| Namibia | 45 | 14.0 | 2nd | Australia | Potchefstroom | 27 Feb 2003 |
| Sri Lanka | 50 | 15.2 | 1st | India | Colombo (RPS) | 17 Sep 2023 |
Key Stats
35: This is the lowest team score in ODI cricket by both a full member nation and an associate nation. Zimbabwe was dismissed by Sri Lanka for 35 runs in 18 overs, while the USA was bundled out for the same score by Nepal in just 12 overs.
12: The number of overs taken by Nepal to send the USA team back to the pavilion. This is the least overs played by a team in a completed ODI innings.
1.11: This is the lowest run rate achieved by Canada while scoring 45 runs in 40.3 overs against England in 1979. Moreover, this is the highest number of overs played by a team while posting the lowest team score under 80 runs.
15: Sri Lanka has bowled out opposing teams 15 times for scores less than or equal to 80.
1: England is the only full-member team that is yet to be bowled out for less than 80 runs. England’s lowest team total in ODIs is 86 runs scored against Australia in 2001.
18: Zimbabwe has been dismissed 18 times below the score of 100 runs, the most by any team in ODIs.
