The highest ODI score by a team [Video]

Highest ODI score by a team: One-Day Internationals, a limited-overs format was first introduced in the late 20th century. The first ODI was played between England and Australia on 5 January 1971 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

This actually happened when the first 3 days of a test match between England and Australia were washed out and officials then decided to play a one-day game of 40 overs per side consisting of 8 balls an over. From this day onward, Limited Overs Internationals(LOIs), an advanced form of cricket, was developed.

Since then, cricket slowly evolved from bowlers’ paradise to batters’ heaven. The game shifted more towards the batters with the induction of batsmen-favored rules, small boundaries, batting-friendly pitches, and shorter formats.

The 50-over format, ODIs, was all about batting and bowlers had to tighten up their screws. Batting friendly wickets helped batters score more runs and cricket’s record book had a new section of world records.

Modern-day cricket changed the perspective of the game. Teams went on to score more and more runs, creating more and more records for the highest score in ODIs.

So far, there have been 21 such instances where a team’s total crossed the 400-run mark. England were involved in three of them. Here we will take a look at the top 10 highest team totals in ODIs.

Highest ODI score by a team [a list]

1. England (498-4 vs Netherlands)

The record for the highest ODI score by a team belongs to England. In fact, the top three highest scores in ODIs are all made by England. (We’ll discuss them in detail down the line.)

Led by fearless captain Eoin Morgan, the English team scored a massive 498 runs in a 50-over game earlier this year. The carnage happened on 17 June 2022, during England’s tour to the Netherlands. Batting first, England scored 498 runs with the loss of only 4 wickets, thanks to David Malan’s 125 Phil Salt’s 122 with Jos Buttler’s fiery 70-balls 162, and Liam Livingstone’s stormy 22-balls 66 runs posted a storm total of 498-4 on the board. The English team smashed 36 boundaries and 26 maximums and won the match by 232 runs as the Netherlands were bundled out at 266 runs.

2. England (481-6 vs Australia)

England’s 481-6 Against Australia is 2nd on the list of highest team totals in ODI history. On 19 June 2018, England scored 481 runs for the loss of 6 wickets against Australia at Nottingham. Aussies won the toss and elected to field in the 3rd ODI at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

They started with a 159-run opening partnership followed by a 151-run stand for the 2nd wicket and another 124 runs for the 4th wicket partnership to post a mammoth 481 runs total.

Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow scored centuries. Alex hales was the top scorer with 147 while Bairstow scored 139 runs including Jason Roy’s 82 and Morgan scored quick 67 runs to help England post a massive total. 41 fours and 21 sixes were hit by the England side in this innings. England won that match by 242 runs.

3. England (444-3 vs Pakistan)

The third entry on the list is England again with their total of 444/.3 runs against Pakistan in 2016  in the 3rd ODI at Trent Bridge, Nottingham in 2016. England lost the first wicket (Jason Roy) Alex Hales was unstoppable that day.  His 171-run innings laid the base for a mammoth total, as he established a 248-run stand with Joe Roots for the second wicket.

After them, Morgan, and Buttler joined the party with an unbeaten 161-run stand, helping England post the third highest score of ODIs. England scored 43 boundaries and hit 16 maximums during the innings.

Hales was the top-scorer with 171 runs while Jos Buttler and Joe Root scored 90 and 85 runs respectively. Captain Morgan scored a quick 57 of 27 balls. England won the match by 169 runs.

4. Sri Lanka (443-9 Vs Netherlands)

Sri Lanka’s 443/9 vs Netherlands is the fourth highest team score in ODIs. The Islanders made the total on the 4th of July 2006 at Amstelveen.

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first in the 1st ODI against the Netherlands. Sanath Jayasuriya scored 157 runs, while Kumar Sangakkara scored 46 runs. This, followed by Tillakaratne Dilshan’s unbeaten 117 runs, took Sri Lanka to their highest-ever team total of 443 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. Sri Lanka’s innings included 3 sixes and 56 boundaries. Sri Lanka won that match by 195 runs.

5. South Africa (439-2 vs West Indies)

South African cricket team has the fifth highest ODI score by a team. On January 18, 2015, South Africa scored their highest-ever total of 439 runs for the loss of only 2 wickets against west indies in the 2nd ODI at Johannesburg.

Opening the innings for South Africa Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw scored an opening partnership of 247 runs, the highest-ever opening stands for South Africa at that time and is still the 2nd highest opening partnership for South Africa. Rilee Rossow fell for 128, then came Mr. 360, AB DE Villiers. AB scored the fastest-ever century in ODI cricket for just 31 balls. Ab De Villiers and Hashim Amla’s 192 runs stand at the 2nd wicket took Proteas to their highest-ever total in Odis (439).

AB de Villers scored an unbelievable 44-ball 149 runs while Hashim Amla went not out for 153 runs. South Africa won that match by 148 runs. This was the first instance when 3 centuries were scored in an ODI match.

6. South Africa (438-9 Vs Australia)

South African team once again grab the spot for the 6th highest total in Odis.

The power show from Protease came against Australia on 12 march 2006 at the wanderer’s stadium in Johannesburg. The greatest ever match was when Protease chased the 435 runs target from the kangaroos in the last over at the last wicket.

Chasing 434, proteas opener Boeta Dippenaar fell after scoring just 1 run. Then came Herschelle Gibbs, having no mercy for the Aussie bowlers. Graeme smith and Gibbs stood together for 187 runs when Smith fell after scoring a blast 55-ball 90. A fifty for Mark Boucher and Herschelle Gibbs’s power show took protease over the line for the loss of 9 wickets, creating history. The Record Run chase included 44 boundaries and 12 home runs.

7. South Africa (438-4 Vs India):

South African team is once again on the list at 7th position along with their 5th and 6th spot for the highest totals in ODIs.

On 25th October 2015, South Africa scored 438 runs for the loss of 4 wickets against India in the 5th ODI at Wankhede stadium, Mumbai. Protease chose to bat after winning the toss and scored the 7th-highest total in Odis. Centuries were scored by Quinton De Cock, Faf Du Plessis, and AB De Villiers. It was the 2nd time when 3 centuries were scored in an innings in Odis. Both times South African team did this. Quinton De Cock Scored 109, Du Plessis 133, And DE Villiers Scored 119 runs. 38 4s and 20 6s were hit in the innings. South Africa won the match by 214 runs as the Indian side was bundled out at 224 runs.

8. Australia (434-4 Vs South Africa)

The Australian team is in 8th position with the highest score of 434 for the loss of 4 wickets against South Africa in an ODI match. On 12th march 2006, Australia Scored their highest total against protease in the 5th ODI at the wanderer’s stadium Johannesburg.

Rickey Ponting scored a magnificent 164, Michael Hussey 81, and Simon Katich 79, while 55 runs were scored by Adam Gilchrist. 43 boundaries and 14 sixes were hit by the Australian side but all went in vain as Australia Lost that greatest ODI match in the last over thriller.

9. South Africa (418-5 Vs Zimbabwe)

The protease side is once again at 9th position in the list of highest team total in ODI history following their 5th,6th, and 7th positions in the list.

On the 20th of September 2006, South Africa scored 418 runs for the loss of 5 wickets against Zimbabwe in the 3rd ODI At Senwes Park, Potchefstroom. Mark Boucher was the top scorer with 147 runs while Loots Bosman scored 88, Alviro Petersen 80, and the skipper Jacques Kallis contributed 50 runs. 36 fours and 4 sixes were hit by the protease side. South Africa won that match by 171 runs.

10. India (418-5 Vs West Indies)

Indian Team grabs the 10th spot in the list of the highest team total in ODI History.
On December 08, 2011, India Scored 418 runs for the loss of 5 wickets against west indies in the 3rd ODI played at Holkar cricket stadium, Indore.

Virender Sehwag was the top scored for his magnificent 219 runs. Gautam Gambhir scored 67 while Suresh Raina contributed 55 runs in the massive total. 47 Boundaries and 7 maximums were hit by the Indian side.

This is the highest-ever score by the Indian team in ODI history and the 10th overall highest score by a team in Odis. India won the match by 153 runs.