Receiving the maiden cap to represent the national team is a matter of pride for any player. And to make a mark in the very first match is a sign of the true potential the player possesses.
Throughout cricket’s history, hundreds of players have made their ODI debuts. But only a few managed to grab attention with their promising performances.
There’s a bit of pressure to get off the mark in style. But some batters kept it aside and enjoyed their batting to the fullest to smash the highest scores.
This article will list the top five batters with the highest individual scores on ODI debuts.
5. Colin Ingram (South Africa): 124 vs Zimbabwe | 2010
Colin Ingram may not have had a desirable career for South Africa, turning up for them in 30-odd ODIs. But he perhaps won’t forget his ODI debut made on October 15, 2010.
Batting one down against Zimbabwe, Ingram stitched together three crucial partnerships. He started with a 136-run stand with Hashim Amla before a 40-run partnership with AB de Villiers and a 76-run collab with David Miller.
Meanwhile, Ingram built his innings with patience, reaching the fifty mark in 65 balls. In the next 45 deliveries, he brought up his maiden ODI century before getting out on 124 runs.
4. Mark Chapman (Hong Kong): 124* vs UAE | 2015
As of 2025, Mark Chapman plays cricket for New Zealand. But a decade ago, he made his ODI debut for Hong Kong, his birth country.
On November 16, 2015, Chapman received his maiden ODI cap against the UAE. He walked in to bat No. 4 and helped Hong Kong post 298 runs on the board.
Chapman took some time to settle while getting his half-century in 68 balls. He then accelerated his scoring by nailing boundaries more often. On his 103rd ball, he reached his first-ever ton before remaining unbeaten on 124 from 116 balls.
Chapman had a short stint with Hong Kong, representing them in one more ODI and 19 T20Is before donning the New Zealand jersey in 2018.
Did You Know: Mark Chapman has Scored Centuries for Hong Kong and New Zealand?
3. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan): 127 vs Ireland | 2021
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been a top batter for Afghanistan since his ODI debut on January 21, 2021. And he showed a glimpse of his vast potential on the same day against Ireland.
After electing to bat first, Gurbaz put up a 120-run opening stand with Javed Ahmadi. In the meantime, he raced off to his fifty in 38 balls with a six.
After Ahmadi returned to the pavilion, Afghanistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals. But Gurbaz held on one end to raise his maiden hundred off 115 balls.
He added 27 more runs to his tally before losing his wicket on 127 runs off as many balls. The right-hander smashed 8 fours and 9 sixes, eventually helping his side win by 16 runs.
2. Desmond Haynes (West Indies): 148 vs Australia | 1978
Desmond Haynes once topped this list but now occupies the second spot. He delivered his whirlwind knock back in 1978, when the ODI format was still taking shape.
In fact, Haynes was the second batter to score a century on ODI debut after England’s Dennis Amiss. He slammed 148 runs from 136 balls while doing a brilliant carry job against Australia.
Haynes’ innings included 16 fours and 2 sixes, with the strike rate touching almost 109. That knock set the foundation for Haynes to have a successful career for the West Indies.
Check Out: A Test Record Desmond Haynes held for 30 Years!
1. Matthew Breetzke (South Africa): 150 vs New Zealand | 2025
After not-so-memorable debuts in T20I and Test formats, Matthew Breetzke turned the tide in ODIs. He made his ODI debut along with three other players against New Zealand on February 10, 2025.
And he broke Haynes’ 47-year-old record in his maiden appearance. Given a chance in a side missing major players, Breetzke was quick to make a mark.
After being put into bat first, the right-hand batter opened the innings with captain Temba Bavuma. Breetzke used a cautious approach to accumulate runs, getting to his fifty in 68 balls.
He then raised his maiden ODI hundred off 128 balls with a cracking four. After getting the landmark score, the South African continued hammering boundaries to reach 150 in 147 deliveries.
With that, Breetzke became the first-ever batter to score 150 runs on his ODI debut. He fell on the next ball, though, his knock went in vain as New Zealand won the match.
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