Glenn Maxwell took over the entire cricket fraternity on Tuesday as Australia locked horns with Afghanistan in the 39th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
The power hitter made a mockery of Afghanistan’s bowling line-up as he thrashed them all over the park to bail Australia out of the critical situation and helped them confirm a place in the playoffs of the ODI World Cup 2023.
As Australia was chasing a score of 291 runs in the allotted 50 overs, they were hit by a storm in the form of Afghan bowlers and found themselves struggling at a score of 91 for the loss of seven wickets. However, the team did not have much to worry about as Maxwell displayed prime form and ended up smacking 201 runs off just 128 balls to help his team win in 46.5 overs.
On that note, let’s take a look at the top five highest run-scorers in the ICC Cricket World Cup history.
#5 Sourav Ganguly: 183 (India, 1999)
The only Indian player to feature in this esteemed list is former skipper Sourav Ganguly. The Bengal-born made heads turn during a league game of the 1999 ODI World Cup against Sri Lanka while playing at The Cooper Association County Ground in Taunton. Opening the innings alongside Sadagoppan Ramesh, Sourav Ganguly displayed top form as the Men in Blue registered a massive score of 373 runs in the allotted 50 overs.
India found themselves in trouble as Ramesh lost his wicket after scoring only five runs in 0.5 overs. However, the team was not in trouble as the other opening batter decided to hammer a whopping 183 runs off just 158 balls. His knock included 17 boundaries and 7 maximums at a strike rate of over 115.
183 remains Ganguly’s highest score in the One Day Internationals to date. He went on to score a whopping 11368 runs in 311 One Day Internationals, including 72 fifties and 22 centuries at an average of over 40 and a strike rate of over 73.
#4 Gary Kirsten: 188* (South Africa, 1996)
The South Africa cricket team had a rousing start to the 1996 ODI World Cup as they kick-started their campaign in the tournament with a battle against the United Arab Emirates. The credit for the massive 169-run victory solely goes to the opening batter Gary Kirsten, who played one of the finest knocks in the One Day International history.
Batting first at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, South Africa posted a score of 321 runs as Kirsten smacked 188 runs off 159 balls. The opening batter stayed in the middle till the very end and ended up hitting 13 fours and four maximums at a strike rate of 118.24.
While making a mockery of the United Arab Emirates bowlers in Pakistan, Gary also stitched two crucial partnerships in the middle. Alongside Hansie Cronje, the opening batter managed to collect 116 runs while he stitched an unbeaten partnership of 144 runs with Daryll Cullinan. Chasing the score, UAE was restricted to only 152 runs, and the Proteas scored a big win by 1.96 runs to collect crucial two points early on in the tournament.
#3 Glenn Maxwell: 201* (Australia, 2023)
The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai became a witness to a historic moment on Tuesday as Glenn Maxwell gave it his all in the middle to ensure a three-wicket victory for the Australian cricket team. Chasing the score of 292 runs, Australia had an embarrassing start as their batting order fell like a pack of cards.
The team was heading towards one of the worst defeats in international cricket history with a score of 91-7 in just 18.3 overs. However, Maxwell managed to light up the gloomy Australian dugout by hammering a double century. The batter displayed stunning hitting in the middle, and despite his injury; he did not leave the field before ensuring a victory.
The middle-order batter remained unbeaten with 201 runs off just 128 balls, including a whopping 21 sixes and ten boundaries. He stitched an unbelievable partnership of 202 runs with the seamer Pat Cummins.
Maxwell is the only middle-order batter to feature in this list of the top five highest scorers in the Cricket World Cup history while he is also the individual with the highest score in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 so far.
The Big Show also broke several records, including the highest individual score by a batter in a chasing cause in the ICC Cricket World Cup and also became the first double-centurion in a World Cup chase.
#2 Chris Gayle: 215 (West Indies, 2015)
Chris Gayle is the only West Indies player to feature in this esteemed list
The only West Indies stalwart to feature in this legendary list is Chris Gayle. The Universe Boss made the world aware of his batting mettle and established himself as one of the greats of white-ball cricket during the 2015 ODI World Cup.
Forming a part of Pool B, West Indies locked horns with Zimbabwe early in the tournament. It was pretty much a one-sided affair, as the Caribbeans racked up a score of 372 runs while batting first. The team did not get off to a good start as their opening batter, Dwayne Smith, lost his wicket after bagging a two-ball duck. However, the other opening batter, Chris Gayle, wreaked havoc in the Zimbabwe camp with his batting exploits.
He ended up hammering 215 runs after facing a total of 147 balls. Gayle lived up to his title of hard-hitter as he smashed ten fours and 16 sixes to achieve the humongous total. The batter received support in the form of Marlon Samuels, who came up with an impressive knock of 133 runs off 156 balls and successfully played second fiddle to Chris.
#1 Martin Guptill: 237* (New Zealand, 2015 )
Chris Gayle was only the one batter to showcase his excellent batting in the 2015 ODI World Cup and write his name in the record books with golden letters. He was accompanied by New Zealand’s Martin Guptill, who holds the record for smacking the highest individual score in World Cup history since the inception of the gentlemen’s game.
During the fourth quarter-final of the 2015 event, New Zealand ensured an impressive victory by a massive 143 runs courtesy of Guptill who smashed the West Indies bowlers all over the park in Wellington.
Batting first, New Zealand put up 393 runs on the board after losing six wickets with Guptill alone smashing 237 runs off 163 balls. His knock witnessed 24 boundaries and 11 maximums at a strike rate of over 145. It also remains Guptill’s highest score in international cricket across all formats of the game.