Cricket's Highest Individual Scores: The Records That Define Greatness

Cricket's highest individual scores represent some of sport's most extraordinary physical and mental achievements — days of sustained concentration, perfect technique, and an ability to keep going when the match has already been won. These records define careers and become part of the folklore of the sport.

Test Cricket: Brian Lara's 400 Not Out

The highest individual score in Test cricket is 400 not out, scored by Brian Lara for West Indies against England at the Antigua Recreation Ground in April 2004. Lara batted for 778 minutes and faced 582 balls, striking 43 fours and 4 sixes. It was the second time Lara had held the Test record — he first set it with 375 against England in 1994, a record Mathew Hayden briefly broke with 380 in 2003 before Lara reclaimed it.

ODI Cricket: Rohit Sharma's 264

The highest individual score in ODI cricket is 264, scored by Rohit Sharma for India against Sri Lanka in Kolkata in November 2014. Rohit faced 173 balls and hit 33 fours and 9 sixes. Remarkably, it was the third time Rohit had scored a double century in ODIs — a format where scoring 150 was previously considered exceptional. His 264 remains the all-time ODI record.

T20I Cricket: The Explosive Records

The highest individual T20I score is 172 not out, scored by Hazratullah Zazai of Afghanistan against Ireland in 2019. In the early years of T20I cricket, scores above 100 were extraordinary; today, with expanding teams and franchise learning curves, centuries in T20Is have become relatively frequent. The record has been held by multiple players — including Andrew Symonds' 143 not out and Rohit Sharma's 118 — before Zazai's remarkable performance.