Over the years, ODI cricket has seen many batters dish out wonderful batting performances. These batters showcased their ability to anchor and pace their knock at the right time, which is the crux of the 50-over format.
Among those many knocks, a few performances shine brightly for the way the batters constructed them. Here, we’ll glance at the 5 best batting performances in ODI cricket history.
Viv Richards (West Indies): 189* vs England, 1984
In 1984, Manchester’s Old Trafford witnessed a hard-fought knock from West Indian batting great Viv Richards. The Caribbean side was playing against England in the first ODI match, consisting of 55 overs per side.
After electing to bat first, the West Indies were in a fix at 11 for 2. Richards walked in at No. 4, and he tried to stitch partnerships to revive the team from the early setback.
However, he ran out of partners at the other quite quickly, leaving the Windies in tatters at 166 for 9. Then Richards turned the match on its head with his gutsy knock of 189 not out in 170 balls.
He stitched a crucial stand of 106 runs with No. 11 batter Michael Holding to help the West Indies post 272 runs on the board. Richards’ knock included 21 fours and 5 massive sixes.
Richards’ valiant effort was pivotal in the Windies beating England by 104 runs — the margin was almost close to the 10th wicket partnership!
Kapil Dev (India): 175* vs Zimbabwe, 1983
Kapil Dev played a knock similar to that of Viv Richards, etching one of the best batting performances in ODI cricket history.
India were up against Zimbabwe in a must-win game in the 1983 ODI World Cup. Kapil Dev won the toss and elected to bat first.
The decision seemed to go against the Indian team as they slumped to 9 for 4. Captain Kapil Dev came to bat at No. 6 but witnessed a further slide, with India reeling at 140 for 8.
Then Dev played a captain’s knock, taking on Zimbabwe’s bowlers. He put up a 126-run stand with Syed Kirmani to help India score 266 runs.
Dev remained unbeaten on 175 off 138 balls, smashing 16 fours and 6 sixes. His innings played a crucial role in India qualifying for the semi-finals and eventually winning the ODI World Cup.
Glenn Maxwell (Australia): 201* vs Afghanistan, 2023
Glenn Maxwell dished out one of the greatest ODI batting performances when the odds were against his team. Australia were chasing a 292-run target against Afghanistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup, which turned out to be a steep ask for the 5-time world champions.
When Glenn Maxwell walked into bat, Afghanistan had reduced Australia to 49 for 4 and further strangled them to 91 for 7. Maxwell then put on a MAD MAX show to rescue Australia from the jaws of defeat.
He forged a formidable partnership of 202 runs with captain Pat Cummins, handing Australia almost an impossible win. Despite struggling with cramps, Maxwell was sending the ball flying into the stands with his sheer power.
He smashed the winning six to get his maiden ODI double century, making him the first Australian and the first non-opener to surpass 200 runs in an innings. Maxwell scored an unbeaten 201 runs in just 128 balls at a strike rate of 157, including 21 fours and 10 sixes.
Rohit Sharma (India): 264 vs Sri Lanka, 2014
Rohit Sharma played a freakish ODI knock against Sri Lanka in 2014. Batting first, Rohit opened the innings along with Ajinkya Rahane.
Sri Lanka dropped a couple of chances to dismiss the Hitman, and later, the Sri Lankan bowlers faced the heat. Rohit had a cautious approach in the start, finding occasional boundaries.
He didn’t spare any bowlers, taking them all to the cleaners. Rohit reached his 100 in 100 balls and paced his knock to get his second ODI double hundred off 151 balls.
He kept his attack mode on until he was dismissed in the last over on 264 runs. His mighty knock was laced with 33 fours and 9 sixes.
AB de Villiers (South Africa): 149 vs West Indies, 2015
AB de Villiers was quite famous for his audacious strokeplay and fearless batting performances. The cricketing world witnessed one of his mind-blowing knocks against the West Indies in 2015.
It was the second ODI match in Johannesburg, and South Africa got off to a formidable start, with openers Hashim Amla (153*) and Rilee Rossouw (128) putting up a 247-run stand for the first wicket.
With a set platform, ABD came in as a No. 3 batter and wreaked havoc in the next 10 overs. The 360-degree batter started dealing in boundaries right from the word go, making the Windies bowler’s life a hell.
ABD zoomed past fifty in 17 balls, hundred in 31 balls — the fastest in ODIs — and was on the verge of recording the fastest 150 but fell short of a run.
He got out on 149 runs, taking 44 balls and striking at an unbelievable rate of 338! His fiery knock included 9 fours and 16 maximums.
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