The ODI World Cup 2023 is just days ahead and the buildup to the tournament has been super exciting this season with the traditional drama between India and Pakistan spicing things up for the mega event to be hosted by India in October and November. Team India has reached the summit of the competition two times. First, in 1983, under the captaincy of the versatile Kapil Dev, and second, in 2011, under the cool and calm MS Dhoni. Here are the three highest individual scores by Indian players in World Cups.
3. Virender Sehwag, 175 vs Bangladesh, 2011
Co-hosting the 2011 World Cup with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India. Two of the hosts, India and Bangladesh, faced off in the first match in Mirpur. Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field first, an opportunity that India grabbed with both hands. They scored 370/4 in 50 overs with two batters reaching the triple figures. Virender Sehwag remained the star of the innings with a knock of 175 off 140 balls, including 14 boundaries and five maximums. Virat Kohli contributed with 100 off 83. In reply, Bangladesh could only manage 283/9 in their 50 overs. Sehwag’s 175 off 140 continues to be the third-highest individual score by an Indian in an ODI World Cup game.
2. Kapil Dev, 175* vs Zimbabwe, 1983
Second on this list is yet another 175-run innings, the difference being the batter remaining not out to merit a higher position on this list. Kapil Dev’s 175* off 138 deliveries on the road to reaching the final was of the stuff dreams are made. Unfortunately, that day was a Media strike, which meant there are no media records or video footage of the knock. However, cricket record books have kept the innings alive, and very recently, a Bollywood movie in its retelling of the 1983 World Cup recreated the magical knock. Kapil Dev smashed 16 boundaries and six maximums after a top-order failure to rescue India’s innings. They reached 266/8 in 60 overs and were successful in bowling Zimbabwe out for 235 in 57 overs clinching an important win.
1. Sourav Ganguly, 183 vs Sri Lanka, 1999
In the India vs Sri Lanka encounter of the 1999 World Cup, Sourav Ganguly, India’s left-handed opener scored 183 off 158, including 17 boundaries and seven maximums. His knock remains the highest individual score by an Indian in an ODI World Cup game. Rahul Dravid, with 145 off 129, was right behind him as the Men in Blue racked up a mammoth 373/6 in 50 overs. In reply, the Lankans could only survive 42.3 overs, managing a score of 216 runs to give India a big win. India produced one of the most dominant performances on the World Cup stage with a 157-run win.