The Cricket World Cup is the most prestigious event in the One Day International (ODI) format of the game. It showcases the best batsmen from around the world, who compete to score the most runs and lead their teams to glory.
1992: Rameez Raja (Pakistan) – 119* vs New Zealand
The 1992 World Cup was the first one to feature colored clothing, white balls, and day-night matches. It was also the first and only one to have a round-robin format with nine teams. Pakistan, who had a poor start to the tournament, staged a remarkable comeback and won the trophy for the first time.
One of the heroes of Pakistan’s campaign was opener Rameez Raja, who scored two centuries in the tournament. His first one came against New Zealand in a crucial match at Christchurch. He batted through the innings and remained unbeaten on 119 off 155 balls, with 16 fours. He shared a 147-run partnership with captain Imran Khan, who scored 72. Pakistan posted 262 for 7 and then bowled out New Zealand for 212, winning by 50 runs.
1996: Gary Kirsten (South Africa) – 188* vs UAE
The 1996 World Cup was co-hosted by India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It was the first one to feature 12 teams, divided into two groups of six each. The top four teams from each group qualified for the quarter-finals. Sri Lanka won the tournament for the first time, defeating Australia in the final at Lahore.The highest individual score of the tournament came from South African opener Gary Kirsten, who smashed an unbeaten 188 off 159 balls against UAE at Rawalpindi. He hit 13 fours and four sixes, and shared a 186-run stand with captain Hansie Cronje, who scored 78. South Africa piled up 321 for 2 and then restricted UAE to 152 for 8, winning by a massive margin of 169 runs. Kirsten’s knock was then the highest individual score in ODI history, surpassing Viv Richards’ 189* against England in 1984.
Here is an article on the highest individual score in each World Cup edition, starting from 1999:
1999: Sourav Ganguly (India) – 183 vs Sri Lanka
The highest individual score of the tournament came from Indian batsman Rahul Dravid, who scored a brilliant 145 off 129 balls against Sri Lanka at Taunton. He hit 17 fours and a six, and shared a record-breaking partnership of 318 runs with Sourav Ganguly, who scored 183. It was then the highest partnership for any wicket in ODI history. India posted a mammoth total of 373 for 6 and then bowled out Sri Lanka for 216, winning by 157 runs. Dravid’s knock was then the highest individual score by an Indian in World Cup history, surpassing Kapil Dev’s 175* against Zimbabwe in 1983.
2003: CB Wishart (Zimbabwe)-172 vs Namibia
In the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Craig Wishart, an opener for Zimbabwe, scored an unbeaten 172 runs off 151 balls with 18 fours and 3 sixes against Namibia. This was the highest individual score by a Zimbabwean batsman in one-day international. Wishart’s innings helped Zimbabwe win the match by 86 runs (D/L method). Although he started the tournament with a bang, Wishart faded as Zimbabwe petered out of the competition.
2007 World Cup: Imran Nazir (Pakistan) – 160 runs vs Zimbabwe
The 2007 World Cup was a disappointing one for Pakistan, who were knocked out in the first round after losing to Ireland. However, they did manage to register one big win against Zimbabwe, thanks to a blistering knock by opener Imran Nazir. Nazir smashed 160 runs off just 121 balls, hitting 14 fours and eight sixes. He shared a 167-run partnership with Mohammad Yousuf for the second wicket, as Pakistan posted 349 for 7 in 50 overs. Zimbabwe were never in the chase and folded for 99, giving Pakistan a massive 250-run victory. Nazir’s 160 was the highest individual score in the 2007 World Cup, and also the highest by a Pakistani batsman in World Cup history.
2011 World Cup: Virender Sehwag (India) – 175 runs vs Bangladesh
The 2011 World Cup was a memorable one for India, who lifted the trophy for the second time after 28 years. The tournament began with a bang for the hosts, as they faced Bangladesh in the opening match. Virender Sehwag, the explosive opener, set the tone for India’s campaign with a magnificent 175 off 140 balls, hitting 14 fours and five sixes. He dominated the Bangladesh bowlers from the start and reached his century in 94 balls. He added 203 runs with Virat Kohli for the third wicket, as India amassed 370 for 4 in 50 overs. Bangladesh put up a spirited fight, but fell short by 87 runs. Sehwag’s 175 was the highest individual score in the 2011 World Cup, and also the fourth-highest in World Cup history.
2015 World Cup: Martin Guptill (New Zealand) – 237* runs vs West Indies
The 2015 World Cup was a historic one for New Zealand, who reached the final for the first time. One of the main architects of their success was opener Martin Guptill, who scored the highest individual score in World Cup history. Guptill smashed an unbeaten 237 off 163 balls, hitting 24 fours and 11 sixes, against West Indies in the quarter-final. He started slowly, reaching his fifty in 64 balls, but then accelerated his innings and reached his double hundred in 152 balls. He added 143 runs with Ross Taylor for the second wicket, and 118 runs with Grant Elliott for the third wicket, as New Zealand posted 393 for 6 in 50 overs. West Indies were bowled out for 250, giving New Zealand a 143-run win. Guptill’s 237* was the highest individual score in the 2015 World Cup, and also the second-highest in ODI history.
2019 World Cup: David Warner (Australia) – 166 runs vs Bangladesh
The 2019 World Cup was a closely contested one, with England emerging as the champions for the first time. Australia, the defending champions, finished second in the group stage, but lost to England in the semi-final. One of the highlights of their campaign was David Warner’s brilliant 166 against Bangladesh in the group stage. Warner, who was making a comeback after a year-long ban for ball-tampering, showed his class and form with a sublime knock. He scored 166 off 147 balls, hitting 14 fours and five sixes. He shared a 121-run stand with Aaron Finch for the first wicket, and a 192-run stand with Usman Khawaja for the second wicket, as Australia piled up 381 for 5 in 50 overs. Bangladesh fought hard, but could only manage 333 for 8, losing by 48 runs. Warner’s 166 was the highest individual score in the 2019 World Cup.
