We often witness teams accelerating their run scoring in the death overs in ODIs to post a big total. However, nowadays, teams are giving opposition bowlers a run for their money from the first ball.
There have been prominent instances where teams have set the course of their innings in the first powerplay itself. The fiery start helps teams put up mammoth totals on the scoreboard.
In ODIs, the first powerplay is from 1st over to 10th over, with a field restriction of 2 players outside the 30-yard circle. The fielding restriction allows the batters to play with liberty, enabling them to smash boundaries to accumulate quick runs.
In this article, we’ll look at the top 10 highest powerplay scores attained by teams in ODI cricket.
Highest Powerplay Scores by Teams in ODI
| Batting Team | Runs in PP | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 118 | New Zealand | Dharamsala | 28 Oct 2023 |
| New Zealand | 118 | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 28 Dec 2015 |
| New Zealand | 116 | England | Wellington | 20 Feb 2015 |
| West Indies | 114 | India | Port of Spain | 14 Aug 2019 |
| South Africa | 113 | Sri Lanka | Pallekele | 8 Aug 2018 |
| Australia | 112 | India | Visakhapatnam | 19 Mar 2023 |
| Australia | 109 | Sri Lanka | Dambulla | 31 Aug 2016 |
| New Zealand | 108 | Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 26 Dec 2015 |
| England | 107 | Ireland | Bristol | 26 Sep 2023 |
| Australia | 104 | South Africa | Potchefstroom | 12 Sep 2023 |
Key Insights
118: Australia and New Zealand hold the joint record for smashing the highest powerplay scores in ODI cricket. New Zealand scored 118 runs versus Sri Lanka in 2015, while Australia equalled the Blackcaps record in 2023 against them.
50: New Zealand’s 118 runs came off just 50 balls. Batting first, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 117 runs. In response, the Kiwi opener, Martin Guptill (93* off 30), came all guns blazing and helped chase down the target in 8.2 overs.
100: Australia is the only team that has scored 100 or more runs in the first 10 overs in 5+ innings in ODIs.
2: Sri Lankan bowlers faced the wrath of New Zealand batters in back-to-back ODIs. In the first and second ODIs during the 2015-16 series, the Kiwis amassed 108 and 118 runs in powerplay, respectively.
Similarly, South African bowlers were helpless against Australia in 2023. In the second and third ODIs, Australia put 102 and 104 runs on the board in the first 10 overs.
