Jemimah's 127 lands her in special list; Indians with highest score in World Cup knockouts

Highest score for India in World Cup knockouts [Source: @BCCIWomen, @Shahqhqh/X.com]

Knockout games in ODI World Cups are defined by pressure, drama, and legacy. This is a platform where legends are made and remembered forever. 

Jemimah Rodrigues, the promising star of India, recently hit a match-winning 127* off 134 balls in a semi-final of the Women's World Cup 2025 against Australia.

Her innings has now earned her a slot in a list of innings that are extraordinarily special, perhaps even defined matches, careers and emotions.  

On that note, here are the highest individual scores achieved by Indian players in World Cup knockout games, where superheroes competed at the biggest stage imaginable.

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5. Sourav Ganguly - 111 vs Kenya (2003 Men’s World Cup semi-final)

5. Sourav Ganguly - 111 vs Kenya (2003 Men’s World Cup semi-final) [Source: @tarak9999cult/X.com]

The Prince of Kolkata had led from the front in the 2003 semi-final against Kenya. His 111* off 114 balls was elegant, confident, and well-paced. He put together a partnership of 103 runs with Sachin Tendulkar. 

And led India to a fairly comfortable 91-run victory and a passage through to the final against the Australians. This was truly a captain's innings with balance between aggression and elegance with the bat, which shows leadership and class.

4. Virat Kohli - 117 vs New Zealand (2023 Men’s World Cup semi-final)

4. Virat Kohli - 117 vs New Zealand (2023 Men’s World Cup semi-final) [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]

Before heartbreak struck in the final, Virat Kohli’s 117 off 113 balls against New Zealand in the semi-final held at Mumbai in the 2023 ODI World Cup was a masterclass in timing and temperament. 

The intent of each stroke was measured, while every run carried significance. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer knitted a 163-run partnership and guided India to a record 397-run total. Moreover, this was Kohli's 50th ODI century, breaching the 49-century record held by Sachin Tendulkar. 

Even after India emerged victorious in the match by a margin as big as 70 runs, Kohli's innings remained an example to be followed for concentration and resolve under pressure.

3. Jemimah Rodrigues - 127* vs Australia (2025 Women’s World Cup semi-final)

3. Jemimah Rodrigues - 127* vs Australia (2025 Women’s World Cup semi-final) [Source: @Rajiv1841/X.com]

In a high-pressure game against the formidable Aussies, Jemimah Rodrigues, bold as ever, officially announced herself on the world stage with a career-best knock of 127 off 134 balls. In a situation when the wickets fell initially, she maintained her cool, combining patience with stroke play. 

She partnered with Harmanpreet Kaur for a 167-run partnership that turned the match in India's favour, as they chased down the target of 339 and booked a place in the final of 2025 World Cup. It was not just her runs but her maturity and calmness under pressure which had fans and experts alike touting her to be the next future of Indian cricket.

2. Rohit Sharma - 137 vs Bangladesh (2015 Men’s World Cup quarter-final)

2. Rohit Sharma - 137 vs Bangladesh (2015 Men’s World Cup quarter-final) [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]

Rohit Sharma has built a career on being a player for the big occasion and his innings against Bangladesh at the 2015 World Cup Quarter-Final was yet another reminder of his class.

After the slow start, Rohit took over and accelerated beautifully through the middle overs. His 137 off 126 was a mixture of elegance and power, laced with 14 boundaries and 3 sixes. India amassed 302/6 and eventually won comfortably by 109 runs. 

It was a statement innings that took India into the semi-final match, and Rohit's calm, yet assertive knock is a classic in World Cup history.

1. Harmanpreet Kaur - 171 vs Australia (2017 Women’s World Cup semi-final)

1. Harmanpreet Kaur - 171 vs Australia (2017 Women’s World Cup semi-final) [Source: @womeninsportsin/X.com]

Few would have predicted what was to come when India took on Australia in the 2017 World Cup semi-final at Derby. On an overcast day in England, Kaur played an innings of a lifetime, scoring 171 not out off 115 balls, with a tally of 20 fours and 7 sixes.

Her innings wasn’t just explosive but pure dominance wrapped in composure. Harmanpreet came in when India was struggling at 35 for 2, and by the time she was done, the scoreboard read 281/4. India went on to win the match by 36 runs, storming into the final. It remains one of the greatest ODI knocks ever by an Indian, across genders.

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