The ICC World Cup is the biggest cricket championship and has witnessed stunning performances by players throughout its five decades of history. The Cricket World Cup follows the one-day international format of cricket, allowing both batsmen and bowlers considerable scope to showcase their skills. So far we have seen double centuries, seven-wicket hauls, 400-plus totals and 300-plus run partnerships. Fans are eagerly awaiting the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 and the exciting games it promises.
One of the most amazing records in the Cricket World Cup is the highest individual score. New Zealand’s Martin Guptill has the highest individual score in the World Cup, followed by Chris Gayle and Gary Kirsten. You can check the full list of players with the highest individual scores in the ICC World Cup here.
Related:
Highest individual score in ICC World Cup history (1975-2019)
It is not an easy task to achieve high scores in the World Cup due to the intense pressure of the tournament and the high level of competition, but many batsmen have achieved the feat with ease. There were times when fans felt they were watching a T20 match because of the explosive batting. Check out the top 3 batsmen with the highest individual scores in the World Cup below.
#1 Martin Guptill
New Zealand’s Martin Guptill holds the record for the highest individual score in World Cup history. Guptill scored an incredible 237 not out against the West Indies in 2015. Batting at a strike rate of 145.39, he needed just 163 balls to reach this milestone and hit 11 sixes and 24 fours in the process. New Zealand posted a total of 393 on the score sheet to win by 143 runs after the West Indies were bowled out for 250 runs.
#2 Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle, dubbed the “Space Boss” for his destructive batting, is regarded as the best T20 player in cricket, but he also showcased his prowess with the bat in the ODI World Cup. He is the only player to score a triple century – a triple hundred in Tests, a double hundred in ODIs and a hundred in T20Is. In the 2015 World Cup, Gayle scored 215 runs against Zimbabwe, scoring the fastest and first double century in the tournament. Gayle took 147 balls to score 215 runs and hit 16 sixes and 10 fours.
#3 Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirsten is known today as a successful cricket coach, but in the 90s he was a menace. The South African batsman defeated the UAE in the 1996 World Cup, scoring an unbeaten 188 runs in 159 balls. Kirsten hit four sixes and 13 fours in her innings. South Africa won by 169 runs.
Highest individual score in ICC ODI World Cup | |||||
Rank | Player | Is running | Balls Faced | Opposition | Match date |
1 | Martin Guptill (NZ) | 237* | 163 | West Indies | 21 March 15 |
2 | Chris Gayle (WI) | 215 | 147 | Zimbabwe | February 24-15 |
3 | Gary Kirsten (SA) | 188* | 159 | UAE | February 16, 1996 |
4 | Sourav Ganguly (IND) | 183 | 158 | Sri Lanka | May 26, 1999 |
5 | Viv Richards (WI) | 181 | 125 | Sri Lanka | October 13, 87 |
6 | David Warner (AUS) | 178 | 133 | Afghanistan | 04 March 15 |
7 | Kapil Dev (IND) | 175* | 138 | Zimbabwe | 18-June-83 |
8 | Virender Sehwag (IND) | 175 | 140 | Bangladesh | February 19-11 |
9 | Craig Wishart (ZIM) | 172* | 151 | Namibia | February 10, 3 |
10 | Glenn Turner (NZ) | 171* | 201 | East Africa | 07-Jun-75 |
11 | David Warner (AUS) | 166 | 147 | Bangladesh | June 20-19 |
12 | AB de Villiers (SA) | 162* | 66 | West Indies | February 27-15 |
13 | Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) | 161* | 146 | Bangladesh | February 26-15 |
14 | Andrew Hudson (SA) | 161 | 132 | Netherlands | March 5, 1996 |
15 | Imran Nazir (PAK) | 160 | 121 | Zimbabwe | March 21, 2007 |
16 | Hashim Amla (SA) | 159 | 128 | Ireland | 03 March 15 |
17 | Matthew Hayden (AUS) | 158 | 143 | West Indies | March 27, 2007 |
18 | Andrew Strauss (ENG) | 158 | 145 | India | February 27-11 |
19 | Kyle Coetzer (SCT) | 156 | 134 | Bangladesh | 05 March 15 |
20 | Jason Roy (ENG) | 153 | 121 | Bangladesh | 08-Jun-19 |
21 | Aaron Finch (AUS) | 153 | 132 | Sri Lanka | June 15-19 |
22 | Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 152 | 151 | Namibia | 23 February 3 |
23 | Adam Gilchrist (AUS) | 149 | 104 | Sri Lanka | April 28, 2007 |
24 | Eoin Morgan (ENG) | 148 | 71 | Afghanistan | June 18-19 |
25 | Kane Williamson (NZ) | 148 | 154 | West Indies | June 22-19 |
26 | AB de Villiers (SA) | 146 | 130 | West Indies | April 10, 2007 |
27 | Aravinda de Silva (SL) | 145 | 115 | Kenya | March 6, 1996 |
28 | Rahul Dravid (IND) | 145 | 129 | Sri Lanka | May 26, 1999 |
29 | Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) | 144 | 131 | Zimbabwe | March 10, 11 |
30 | Andrew Symonds (AUS) | 143* | 125 | Pakistan | 11 February 3 |
31 | Herschelle Gibbs (SA) | 143 | 141 | New Zealand | February 16, 3 |
32 | Dave Houghton (ZIM) | 142 | 137 | New Zealand | October 10, 87 |
33 | Scott Styris (NZ) | 141 | 125 | Sri Lanka | February 10, 3 |
34 | Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 140* | 101 | Kenya | May 23, 1999 |
35 | Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 140* | 121 | India | March 23, 2003 |
36 | Rohit Sharma (IND) | 140 | 113 | Pakistan | June 16-19 |
37 | Lahiru Thirimanne (SL) | 139* | 143 | England | March 1, 15 |
38 | Viv Richards (WI) | 138* | 157 | England | 23-June-79 |
39 | David Miller (SA) | 138* | 92 | Zimbabwe | 15-February-15 |
40 | Brendan Taylor (ZIM) | 138 | 110 | India | March 14-15 |
41 | Dennis Amiss (ENG) | 137 | 147 | India | 07-Jun-75 |
42 | Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 137 | 137 | Sri Lanka | March 2, 1996 |
43 | Shikhar Dhawan (IND) | 137 | 146 | South Africa | February 22-15 |
44 | Rohit Sharma (IND) | 137 | 126 | Bangladesh | 19 March 15 |
45 | Aaron Finch (AUS) | 135 | 128 | England | February 14-15 |
46 | Stephen Fleming (NZ) | 134* | 132 | South Africa | February 16, 3 |
47 | Klaas van Noortwijk (NET) | 134* | 129 | Namibia | March 3, 2003 |
48 | AB de Villiers (SA) | 134 | 98 | Netherlands | March 3, 2011 |
49 | Marlon Samuels (WI) | 133* | 156 | Zimbabwe | February 24-15 |
50 | Upul Tharanga (SL) | 133 | 141 | Zimbabwe | March 10, 11 |
| *Image source: ESPNcricinfo |
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education