There was a time when scores in excess of 300 were seen to be a path less trodden by teams in ODI cricket. In the 1980s and 1990s, teams used to score in the bracket of 230-270 and that would be a more than decent score for a win. When Australia amassed 359 against India in the 2003 ODI World Cup, all hell broke loose. But the rise of league cricket and T20 cricket has changed the players’ mindset, leading to a batting revolution in the 50-over format as well.
Teams have now developed a lot more attacking skills and are going hammer and tongs from the get-go. But 400? Surely those are too many runs. Nope, not anymore. The younger generation is amazingly talented and with the bigger bats and smaller boundaries in play, teams like Australia, India, England, and South Africa are expected to score over 400 runs in ODI almost everytime they play.
The first time a team scored more than 400 runs in an ODI was in 2006 when Australia played against South Africa. Many reckoned this total would never get crossed, but to everyone’s shock, South Africa chased down the target in a match to remember. Since then, teams have scored in excess of 400 in an ODI game 25 times.
Teams That Have Scored 400+ in ODI Cricket
In all, scores in excess of 400 have been breached 27 times in ODI cricket by seven teams. Here’s the full list.
- South Africa hold the record for most made 400-plus totals in ODI cricket: 8. They have also scored 399 two times.
- India are next on this list. They have scored 400+ runs in ODI cricket seven times. They also have a 399 against Australia in Indore.
- England have crossed 400 runs five times in ODIs and they also have one 399 to their name. It must be noted that the three highest totals in ODI history belong to England.
- Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka have all breached the 400-run mark two times in ODI cricket.
- Zimbabwe have crossed the 400-mark once in their ODI history
1) South Africa – 8 times
South Africa have recorded scores in excess of 400 more than any other nation, with eight being the number. It is fitting because in 2006, they broke the record of the highest successful chase in one-day international history when they chased down Australia’s target of 434 in Johannesburg. Why the game was even more essential was because it was the deciding match in a five-match series. They next scored 418 against Zimbabwe in September 2006, followed by four 400+ scores in 2015 against India, West Indies (twice) and Ireland. Their most recent 400 score came against Sri Lanka in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
2) India – 7 times
It is no surprise that with a power-packed line-up, India find themselves second on this list. They have scored 400 runs and more seven times in ODI cricket. The first instance came in the 2007 ODI World Cup against Bermuda, where the batters ran riot. Then in 2009, India scored 414 against Sri Lanka in Rajkot. It was a close match with Sri Lanka also not backing down. They reached 411 and nearly won an epic contest. India scored 401 against South Africa in 2010, a match in which Sachin Tendulkar became the first man in the history of ODI cricket to score a double century. India also made a 400+ score in ODIs against the Netherlands in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
India’s highest ever ODI score came against West Indies in 2011 when they scored 418/5 against West Indies, a match in which Virender Sehwag spanked a double century. India are also the last team to record a 400+ score in ODIs, having achieved the feat in the semi-final of the 2023 ODI World Cup against New Zealand.
3) England – 5 times
England are next on this list having scored in excess of 400 five times in their ODI history. What should be noted here is the top three scores in ODI cricket history have been recorded by England. They scored 498/4 in 50 overs against Netherlands at VRA Cricket ground on 17 June 2022, with Jos Buttler smoking them all over the place. Then they had smashed 481/6 against Australia in Nottingham in 2018 while they also scored 444/3 against Pakistan also in Nottingham.
Apart from the these three scores, England have also scored 418/6 against West Indies and 408/9 against New Zealand in 2015. It was in 2015 that England decided to give this new attacking approach a go and it has been working great for them ever since. They have changed the face of attacking cricket also known as Bazball in all three formats of the game.
4) Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka – 2 times
For the firepower they possess, it is slightly strange that Australia have managed to cross the 400 barrier only two times in their history. Australia were the first team to register a 400-plus total in ODI cricket, with a 434/4 against South Africa in 2006, a game that they actually lost. Then they also posted 417 against Afghanistan in 2015 with David Warner smashing 178 off just 133 balls. Australia have got close to breaching the 400 barrier a few more times but have fallen short by a few runs.
Sri Lanka were one of the earliest teams to breach the 400 barrier in ODIs, when they smashed 443/9 against the Netherlands in 2006, with hundreds from Sanath Jayasuriya (157) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (117*). They also scored 411 for 8 against India in 2009. But this was when they were chasing. Dilshan again was in the thick of things and in pursuit of India’s 414, they got mighty close only to fall short in the end.
New Zealand have also scored 400+ totals twice in their history. They first made 402/2 against Ireland in Aberdeen in 2008 and the second time made 401/6 against Pakistan at the 2023 Cricket World Cup, but lost the match. It was a rain curtailed match and Fakhar Zaman crushed them as Pakistan won via DLS method.
5) Zimbabwe – 1 time
Zimbabwe have also scored more than 400 runs in an innings once. It came in the 2023 ODI World Cup qualifiers against USA in Harare in 2023. Zimbabwe batted first and riding on a superlative 174 from Sean Williams thrashed the USA bowlers to all parts of the ground, to finish on 408/6. In reply, USA were bundled out for 104 as they went down by 304 runs, the third-biggest margin of defeat in ODIs.
Top 10 team totals in ODI history
| Team | Total | Opponent | Venue | Date |
| England | 498/4 | v Netherlands | Amstelveen | 17 Jun 2022 |
| England | 481/6 | v Australia | Nottingham | 19 Jun 2018 |
| England | 444/3 | v Pakistan | Nottingham | 30 Aug 2016 |
| Sri Lanka | 443/9 | v Netherlands | Amstelveen | 4 Jul 2006 |
| South Africa | 439/2 | v West Indies | Johannesburg | 18 Jan 2015 |
| South Africa | 438/9 | v Australia | Johannesburg | 12 Mar 2006 |
| South Africa | 438/4 | v India | Wankhede | 25 Oct 2015 |
| Australia | 434/4 | v South Africa | Johannesburg | 12 Mar 2006 |
| South Africa | 428/5 | v Sri Lanka | Delhi | 7 Oct 2023 |
| South Africa | 418/5 | v Zimbabwe | Potchefstroom | 20 Sep 2006 |
Conclusion
- Scoring 400+ runs in ODI cricket is rare, and has only happened in recent times.
- South Africa, India and England have been the most frequent in achieving this feat,
- Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka are also on this list multiple times.
- The T20 batting has changed the landscape of ODI cricket and that is showing in recent times.
