Top 5 Highest Unbeaten Scores For India On ODI Debut
Sai Sudharsan in action against SA in the first ODI (x.com)
Team India has been adorned with a lineage of batting prodigies whose maiden voyages onto the One Day International (ODI) stage have often shimmered with brilliance. Within this montage of remarkable beginnings, five towering scores have stood out as a testament to the instant impact made by such prodigious Indian talents on their debut outings, thus imprinting their names among the nation’s rich cricketing folklore.
These monumental batting displays not only underscores India’s prowess as a formidable batting powerhouse but also spotlights the extraordinary talents that have donned the iconic blue jersey, leaving an indelible mark from the very onset of their ODI careers.
After Tamil Nadu’s 22-year-old rising star Sai Sudharsan shot himself to unprecedented fame following his match-winning knock against South Africa in December 2023, here at OneCricket, we look back at five of the best unbeaten scores unleashed by Indian debutants within ODI arena.
5 Highest Unbeaten Scores by Indians on ODI Debuts:
1. KL Rahul - 100* vs Zimbabwe, Harare 2016
KL Rahul after scoring his maiden ODI hundred (AP)
With a handful of Test match appearances to his name, KL Rahul was tasked to travel to Zimbabwe back in June 2016 under MS Dhoni’s on for his first white-ball expedition. The cricketer made instant impact on the tour as he scored an unbeaten 100 in the series opener, which also marked the first ODI match of Rahul’s career.
Chasing 169 runs while opening the innings for the ‘Men in Blue’, the elegant right-hander belted seven boundaries and a six at the Harare Sports Club, all while countering the likes of Zimbabwe veteran Hamilton Masakadza and all-round star Sikandar Raza. Rahul’s lone maximum of the innings not only brought up his century, but also sealed the deal for India with more than seven overs to spare.
The then 24-year-old was fittingly adjudged as ‘Player of the Match’ for his game-defining knock.
2. Ambati Rayudu - 63* vs Zimbabwe, Harare 2013
Ambati Rayudu celebrating his 50 with Virat Kohli (x.com)
Much like KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu also made his white-ball debut in Zimbabwe with an ODI at the iconic Harare Sports Club, albeit during Team India’s five-match visit to the country in July 2013. Under Virat Kohli’s leadership, Rayudu received his maiden international crack in the first match itself, where his team was tasked to chase down 229 to secure an early lead.
Batting at number four, the then 27-year-old formed a match-winning 159-run partnership with Kohli for the third wicket. Rayudu himself produced 63 unbeaten runs from his end of 84 deliveries, enlightening his innings with four alluring boundaries.
His crafty run-chase effort steered India past the finishing line with more than five overs still intact in the game. As it turned out, Rayudu’s batting masterclass expanded his white-ball career, as he went on to represent his nation 61 times until March 2019.
3. Ravindra Jadeja - 60* vs Sri Lanka, Colombo 2009
Ravindra Jadeja in action against SL on ODI debut (x.com)
The Indian team management handed Ravindra Jadeja his maiden international cap during the fifth ODI of their series against Sri Lanka back in February 2009, after MS Dhoni’s troops had already conquered their five-match rubber with a 4-0 lead.
After enduring a wicketless spell with the ball upfront to Sri Lanka’s 320-run batting rampage, Dhoni and co. were left to chase a monumental task to complete a rare series sweep away from home. As it turned out, the visitors lost each of their top three batters within the first 10 overs. After Yuvraj Singh and captain Dhoni notched up fighting half-centuries, Ravindra Jadeja at number eight bludgeoned an attacking 60* off 77 balls with five boundaries to his name against the likes of Muthiah Muralidaran and brash young spinner Ajantha Mendis.
Unfortunately for Jadeja and the Indian team, his belligerent knock merely kept team’s defeat margin down to 68 runs as he received little-to-no assistance in the backend of the innings.
4. Krunal Pandya - 58* vs England, Pune 2021
Krunal Pandya took world champions England to the cleaners on his ODI debut (BCCI)
Nearly two-and-a-half years after making his T20I debut, Baroda-based all-rounder Krunal Pandya received his maiden ODI cap during India’s home series opener against England at Pune in March 2021. Known for his belligerent ball-striking, the hard-hitting radical demolished the visitors with a 31-ball 58-run assault in the game after splendid knocks from Shikhar Dhawan and captain Virat Kohli at the top.
Krunal’s gung-ho batting approach in the death alongside senior man KL Rahul ensured Team India added 112 runs in their final 10 overs to surge to 317 upfront. The then Mumbai Indians star bludgeoned seven boundaries and two sixes during his thunderous exertion, and also claimed the key English wicket of Sam Curran in the second half of the game to cap a remarkable all-round spectacle on debut.
Moreover, the Indian team also secured a 66-run win under Virat Kohli, thus setting up the tone of a 2-1 series triumph.
5. Sai Sudharsan - 55* vs South Africa, Johannesburg 2023
Sai Sudharsan flicks one against South Africa in December 2023 (x.com)
Making his international debut during India’s away series in South Africa in December 2023, 22-year-old Sai Sudharsan batted like he belonged to the stage, unfurling an unbeaten 55-run masterclass to headline a clinical Indian run-chase.
The youngster whacked nine boundaries in the process, and formed a match-winning 88-run partnership with senior man Shreyas Iyer after losing opening partner Ruturaj Gaikwad early in the innings. Sudharsan faced just 43 deliveries in his knock, and helped India scythe through South Africa’s 116-run total with 200 balls and eight wickets still intact in the game.
The graceful left-hander might well have brought himself a couple of more cracks in colored clothing for Team India, as the current team management continues to nourish the next generation of batting on their road towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.