Since the past decade or so, One Day International cricket has almost become an extension of the T20 game. The mantra remains the same – going all-out attack to try and accumulate as many runs as possible. No score seems to be out of reach nowadays and no target is safe.
With today’s modern bats, smaller grounds, and muscularly built cricketers, the game seems to be a bit skewed towards the batters. It is no surprise therefore to see so many records for the highest team scores being achieved in the recent past.
Here’s a look at the top 5 highest ODI innings totals for India:
- 418/5 vs West Indies, 2011
A few months after the 2011 World Cup triumph, West Indies toured India for an ODI series where the 4th ODI was played in Indore. Batting first, India unleashed hell on the West Indian bowlers as Sehwag and Gambhir scored an opening partnership of 176 runs. Gambhir was dismissed but Sehwag kept batting as he became just the second Indian to score a double century in ODIs. He was eventually dismissed for 219 and India won by a whopping 153 runs.
2. 414/7 vs Sri Lanka, 2009
On a placid wicket in Rajkot, India, and Sri Lanka played out an absolute run-fest to enthrall the fans. Once again, it was Virender Sehwag who troubled the opposition, as he top-scored with 146 runs. There were solid contributions from Tendulkar (69) and MS Dhoni as well (72). In response, Sri Lanka gave the hosts an almighty scare as Tilakaratne Dilshan scored an impressive 160, while Sangakkara got 90. India eventually won by just 3 runs.
3. 413/5 vs Bermuda, 2007
The 2007 ODI World Cup brings back some nightmares for most Indian fans, as they lost to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the group stages to suffer an early exit. The fans though had something to celebrate in their game against Bermuda, as the Indian team scored a whopping 413 runs. Sehwag top scored with 114, but steady contributions from Sourav Ganguly, who got 89, and Yuvraj Singh, who scored 83, were also handy. Sachin Tendulkar too chipped in with a half-century, batting at number six in this game. In response, Bermuda could only muster 156 runs as India won by a massive margin of 257 runs.
4. 410/4 vs Netherlands, 2023
India were unstoppable in the group stages of the 2023 World Cup and finished things off with a superb display in Bengaluru against the Netherlands. Skipper Rohit Sharma scored a brisk 61, while Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli chipped in with fifties. But the main aggressors in this game were Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, both of whom got eye-catching centuries as India posted 410 runs. In reply, both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma got wickets while bowling as India capped off a memorable win.
5. 409/8 vs Bangladesh, 2022
India lost a rare ODI bilateral series against Bangladesh in 2022. Having already been 2-0 down, the visitors got some consolation with a historic performance in Chattogram. Ishan Kishan opened the batting in the absence of Rohit Sharma and set the stage on fire with a remarkable 210 runs. He was well supported by Virat Kohli, who notched up a ton as well. India scored a mammoth total of 409 runs and then bundled out Bangladesh for 182 to claim a huge victory in the 3rd ODI.
