ODI cricket, the first true version of limited-overs cricket on the international level, has a 50+ year history. In that time, some of the greatest moments in the history of the sport have come in 50-over (formerly 60-over) a-side games.
One of the most exciting parts of any limited-overs game, but especially ODIs, is a thrilling chase. When a team bats second and chases the ghost of the side that batted first. Chases, when successful, either blow the other side out of the water or go down to a few overs, which, frankly, is way more exciting.
Today we will be looking at the biggest chases in ODI cricket. These chases go against the flow of their match. The side that puts up a mammoth total in the first innings usually ends up winning. But not on these occasions.
Here, the team batting second defied all expectations and chased down a target that should not have been chasable.
Here are the top 5 highest run chases in ODIs –
Top 5 Highest Run Chases In ODIs
5) England vs West Indies, Bridgetown (2019)
England travelled to the West Indies for a multi-format tour in February 2019. In the first game of the ODI series, the Windies batted first after winning the toss and put up a large total of 360/8 on a flat track at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. Chris Gayle scored 135 off 129 and led his team to this score.
In response, the three Lions went on a tear; opener Jason Roy and one-down batter Joe Root both scored centuries. Roy made 123 off 85, and Root scored 102 off 97.
These hundreds, coupled with a fine half-century by captain Eoin Morgan, meant that England chased the target down in 48.4 overs with six wickets in hand.
4) Netherlands vs Scotland, Dundee (2025)
The only one of these matches does not feature a Test-playing nation. This one here was a regular ICC CWC League 2 match, played at the Forthill Cricket Ground in Dundee, Scotland. In what has become a trend on this list, the team that won the toss, the Scots in this case, decided to bat first.
Opener George Munsey made a whopping 191 runs in 150 deliveries and was backed by a fine half-century by captain Matthew Cross. This was enough to take Scotland to a total of 369.
In response, the Netherlands lost a wicket earlier in the innings. By the 20th over, they had already lost three. However, an innings of 158* off 130 by Max O’Dowd and 50s by the pair of Teja Nidamanuru and Noah Cross meant that the Dutch managed to reach the target in 49.2 overs with four wickets to spare.
3) South Africa vs Australia, Durban (2016)
Australia’s tour to South Africa in October/November of 2016 was a disappointing one for the then-World ODI Champions. They were first whitewashed in a five-game ODI series and then lost 2-1 in Tests.
The third ODI of that five-match series was played at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban. The Aussies won the toss and decided to bat first on a batting-friendly track.
David Warner’s brilliant 117 off 107, a near run-a-ball 108 by Steve Smith, and some solid slogging in the end by Travis Head and Matthew Wade took Australia to a giant total of 371/8 in 50 overs.
In response, South Africa got off to a fine start. Quinton de Kock made 70 off 49, Hashim Amla scored 40, and captain Faf du Plessis made 33 runs. But by the time the fourth wicket fell in the 25th over, the game seemed done and dusted.
But that was not the case, as David Miller played the innings of a lifetime, almost single-handedly dragging his team to victory. Miller scored 118 off 79 and was the Player of the Match. And in 49.2 overs with four wickets in hand, the Proteas chased down 372.
2) India vs West Indies, Guwahati (2026)
The most recent entry on this list might also be the most spectacular. In the second ODI of a three-match India vs West Indies series, the second match was played at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. In a deviation from the trend, the home side won the toss and decided to bowl first.
West Indies batted first and, for the first time ever in their history, had three batters score a century in one innings in an ODI. John Campbell, Amir Jangoo, and captain Shai Hope all scored a ton. This also took West Indies to 405 runs in 50 overs, the first time the Windies cleared the 400-run mark in ODIs.
In response, the Indian opening pair of Rohit Sharma and team captain Shubman Gill put up a 255-run opening stand. Rohit scored a century, and Gill doubled it, making it a double hundred.
Gill’s 200 was not only the second in his ODI career, making him the second player to score multiple, but also the fastest ever to do so, reaching the milestone in just 117 balls. On the back of the captain’s 233* off 133, India not only chased the target down but also did so dominantly, in just 43.3 overs and with eight wickets in hand.
1) South Africa vs Australia, Johannesburg (2006)
The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, on March 12, 2006, was the site of arguably the most iconic bilateral game of cricket ever played. Australia toured South Africa for five ODIs and three Tests. This was a truly memorable tour. While the Proteas narrowly won the ODI series, the Kangaroos wiped out the hosts in the Tests.
But we are going to talk about the fifth and final ODI of the series. The series, at this point, stood at 2-2 and had already provided some classic matches. But this one was going to go down in history books.
The Aussies won the toss and elected to bat first. The opening pair of Adam Gilchrist and Simon Katich put up a 97-run stand. While Gilchrist made 55 off 44, Katich went on to score 79 off 90.
But the star of the show was captain Ricky Ponting, who played an iconic innings of 164 off 105. And another solid performance by Michael Hussey, who made 81 off 51, meant that Australia broke the then-record for the highest ODI total, making 434 runs in 50 overs.
In response, South Africa lost a wicket early, as opener Boeta Dippenaar was dismissed for just one in the second over. But then came the 187-run partnership between Herschelle Gibbs and captain Graeme Smith.
The two batted for 20-odd overs together and made the impossible target of 435 at least feasible. Smith was dismissed for 90 off 55, but Gibbs went on.
By the time Herschelle Gibbs got out for 175 off 111 in the 31st over, the Proteas were going strong at 299/4. Further flourishes were put on by Mark Boucher (50 off 43) and Johan van der Wath (35 off 18).
The match was an absolute nail-biter. In the end, South Africa needed six runs in the final over with just one wicket in hand. But Boucher hit a four on the second-last ball of the innings to seal a historic win for the Proteas, winning the match with one ball and one wicket in hand.
Check Out: Top 5 Highest Run Chases In ODIs
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