Most Runs in an Innings by a Captain
Undoubtedly, a captain plays the most important role in a cricket team. He has the responsibility of acting as an intermediary between the coaching staff and the rest of the team. Excelling as a cricket captain requires you to have a thorough understanding of how the game is played. Having a great cricketing acumen is one foremost thing you must have to lead aside.
Over the years, the fans have witnessed some incredible captains. They have led their respective side with authority and set a great example for future leaders. Besides, taking crucial decisions, the captains have led from the front by turning up with stellar individual performances. We have seen some great knocks played by captains of different teams in ODI cricket.
In this article, we look at 5 captains who have scored the most runs in a single ODI innings:
#5 Viv Richards (181 against Sri Lanka in 1987)
Deemed as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Sir Viv Richards doesn’t need any introduction. He is the reason behind my cricketers taking up the sport. His fearless attitude of playing the game attracted a lot of eyeballs. Viv Richards went down in history as arguably the greatest West Indies batsmen to play the game. Viv Richards has an exemplary record as a skipper for West Indies. He holds the record for scoring the fifth-highest score as a captain in ODI innings.
The seventh match of Reliance World Cup in 1987 saw him scoring a stellar 181-run knock off just 125 balls against Sri Lanka. He wreaked havoc in Karachi and smashed 16 fours and 7 sixes during the course of his innings. Sri Lanka, in reply, could manage 169 runs in the second innings, thereby handing 191-run victory to West Indies.
#4 Sachin Tendulkar (186 against New Zealand in 1999)
The greatest batsman the world has ever seen, Sachin Tendulkar finds himself at fourth position in the list. Tendulkar has made countless records in world cricket. When it comes to records related to batting, Sachin Tendulkar always manages to engrave his name in most of them.
Sachin Tendulkar has the fourth-highest score as a captain in ODI innings. Against New Zealand in 1999, Sachin Tendulkar scored 186 runs off just 150 balls, including 20 fours and 3 sixes. His knock propelled India to a massive 376-run total in the first innings. New Zealand was bundled out for 202 runs in the second innings.
#3 Sanath Jayasuriya (189 against India in 2000)
There is no denying that Sanath Jayasuriya has changed the way batting sides start their innings. He is counted as one of the most destructive openers in world cricket. Jayasuriya has given countless starts to his side in One-Day cricket. He has had a stellar international cricket career and also led Sri Lanka for a substantial period of time.
His best knock as a captain came against India in the final of the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy in 2000. Sanath Jayasuriya got his team off to a racing start. While he fell short of support from the other end, Jayasuriya kept going in his belligerent fashion and smacked 189 runs off just 161 balls, including 21 fours and 4 sixes. His innings helped Sri Lanka post a formidable 299-run total in the first innings. India, in reply, got bundled out for just 54 runs.
#2 Rohit Sharma (208 against Sri Lanka in 2017)
The only cricketer to have scored three double centuries in world cricket, Rohit Sharma finds his name at the second position. Rohit Sharma led the Indian team in the second ODI against Sri Lanka in the 2017 Sri Lanka tour of India. He played an outstanding knock of 208 runs off just153 deliveries, a knock which was peppered with 13 fours and 12 sixes. India posted a huge 392-run total in the first innings.
Sri Lanka scored 251 runs in the second innings. India won that game by a huge margin of 141 runs.
#1 Virender Sehwag (219 against West Indies in 2011)
The fourth ODI between India and West Indies in 2011 saw India notching a mammoth 418-run total in the first innings. Skipper Virender Sehwag scored a massive 219-run knock off just 149 balls, including 25 fours and 7 sixes. With that knock, he became second India after Sachin Tendulkar to score a double-century in ODI cricket.
West Indies had no answer to such a huge total. They tried hard but fell short of 153 runs.
