Is Glenn Maxwell’s 201 not out REALLY the greatest one-day innings ever? Here’s how it stacks up against the world’s best knocks

Glenn Maxwell’s incredible double century against Afghanistan at the World Cup has been labelled in some quarters as the greatest ODI innings in the history of cricket.

Given Australia were 7/91 at one stage chasing an imposing 292 for victory – and Maxwell was battling severe cramps which made running between the wickets virtually impossible at times and prompted skipper Pat Cummins to say the star ‘literally could not move’ – it is a compelling argument.

The ‘Big Show’ certainly got his team out of jail in Mumbai to seal a spot in the semi-finals – but is it the yardstick in white-ball cricket?

Daily Mail Australia has analysed 10 epic one-day knocks to gauge where Maxwell’s heroics at the crease stands.

10. Ben Stokes, 2019 World Cup final

The all-rounder was unbeaten on 84 from 98 balls, and virtually defeated New Zealand on his own at Lord’s with a significant trophy on the line, thanks to a superior boundary count. The innings came against top-notch opposition on one of the biggest stages cricket has to offer.

9. Kapil Dev, 1983 World Cup group stage

The skipper finished on 175 not out from 138 balls against Zimbabwe, who had looked on course for an upset with India reeling at 5/17. Dev’s innings included 16 boundaries and he cleared the rope on six occasions just for good measure.

His effort ticks the boxes for strike rate and like Maxwell, he single-handedly rescued his side – but didn’t have to battle through injury to do so. 

8. Herschelle Gibbs, 2006 ODI at Johannesburg

After a Ricky Ponting century helped Australia post a blistering 4/434 from 50 overs, few expected South Africa to chase down the mammoth total. Gibbs had other ideas, belting 175 from just 111 balls to secure a famous victory. He later admitted he was hungover after drinking until 1am on the day of the contest.

Australian Mark Waugh was a majestic batsman and a crowd favourite across his career, with his 2001 innings of 173 one of the standouts of his time in the national team

Kiwi cricket fans are unlikely to forget Martin Guptill’s World Cup innings back in 2015, when he finished 237 not out

South African crowd favourite AB De Villiers left the crowd elated after belting a century off just 31 balls in 2015

7. Mark Waugh, 2001 ODI series v West Indies, MCG

‘Junior’ opened the innings with Adam Gilchrist and found the rope with ease, before he was eventually dismissed for 173 after facing 148 deliveries. At the time it was the highest one-day international score by an Aussie, and it remains his highest score for his country in the 50-over format. The knock was also the highest ODI score at the MCG until Jason Roy’s 180 in 2018.

6. Martin Guptill, 2015 World Cup v West Indies

The Kiwi star carried his bat for 50 overs, finishing a remarkable 237 not out from just 163 deliveries, breaking his own NZ ODI record of 189, which he set against England in 2013. It wasn’t a surprise to see the Black Caps cruise to victory in the quarter-final on home soil by 143 runs after a knock of that quality, which also saw him become just the second player to hit a ball onto the roof at Wellington’s Sky Stadium.

5. Viv Richards, West Indies 1984 tour of England

The Master Blaster needs no introduction to rusted-on cricket fans, such was his astonishing talent. In a one-day match at Manchester, the stylish batsman blasted an unbeaten 189, which at the time was a world record for a one-dayer. There had only been four scores of more than 150 in the shorter format at the time, one of which was owned by Richards. Only one other West Indian reached double figures in the match.

4. Glenn Maxwell, 2023 World Cup versus the Netherlands 

The 35-year-old also turned heads recently against the Dutch, blasting a century from just 40 balls while batting at six and recording nine fours and eight sixes. That gave him the fastest century in World Cup history, and the fastest by an Australian man in an ODI contest. It is incredible to think his innings against Afghanistan was even better.

Indian batting maestro Rohit Sharma has the honour of the highest ever individual score in a one-day match –  a scarcely believable 264 versus Sri Lanka in 2014

In terms of drama and grit, Glenn Maxwell’s unbeaten 201 against Afghanistan at the 2023 World Cup will take some beating

3. AB De Villiers, 2015 ODI versus West Indies

The Proteas star was on another level in this match, hammering 149 from 44 balls. He reached three figures from just 31 balls at Johannesburg, beating the previous record for a one-dayer by five deliveries. ‘It just came off for me,’ he said afterwards. ‘I got fired up in the change room, I sort of played my knock before I came out to bat. Aggression was probably the main thing for me, I just wanted to go from the word go.’

2. Rohit Sharma, 2014 ODI versus Sri Lanka

Classy Indian opener plundered the highest ever individual score in a one-day match, with a barely believable 264. He smashed 33 boundaries and kept the crowd entertained at Eden Gardens with nine sixes as he raced to the milestone from just 172 deliveries. That made him the first batter to score two double centuries in the 50-over format, breaking countryman Virender Sehwag’s mark of 219 with a huge six over long off in the 47th over before being caught out on the final ball of India’s innings.

1. Glenn Maxwell, 2023 World Cup versus Afghanistan

Australia needed a miracle at 7/91 chasing almost 300 – and the ‘Big Show’ delivered. Battling cramp and fatigue that left him sprawled on the ground in agony and requring medical attention, the power hitter finished unbeaten on 201, facing just 128 deliveries. As it stands, Maxwell is the only Australian to ever hit 200 plus in an ODI fixture.

He has plenty of support online from cricket identities who believe it is the best innings of all time, notably the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Ben Stokes, who praised the all-rounder on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.