In a format like ODI, it is very tough for a team to recover if all the top order batsmen fail to perform. Given that the run rate also needs to be kept in mind in midst of the continuous fall of wickets, scoring becomes quite difficult. However, we have seen some batsmen play memorable knocks to rescue their team from such situations.

Particularly, if those innings are played in a chase, or in an important clash of a global event like the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/5-finishers-india-should-groom-ahead-of-2023-odi-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Cup</a>, that batting performance is remembered forever. In this particular article, we will be ranking the ten greatest rescue knocks in the history of ODI cricket after an early collapse.

We have used various criteria to rank the knocks which include the match situation, final result, pitch conditions and the importance of the match. A knock that has resulted in a win is given slightly more importance and similarly, a big inning in a low-scoring match has earned higher credit.

Let&#8217;s have a look at 10 such knocks of ODI history

10. Kieron Pollard &#8211; 89 after 34/5

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-404235" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kieron-Pollard.jpg" alt="Kieron Pollard" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-404235" class="wp-caption-text">Kieron Pollard. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>

This was the first ODI of a three-match series played between the West Indies and Bangladesh in 2014 played at National Cricket Stadium, St George&#8217;s. The West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo won the toss and elected to bowl first. Bangladesh opener Anamul Haque slammed a brilliant century for his side batting first. He scored 109 runs off 138 balls including 11 fours and 1 six. The visitors posted a total of 217/9 in 50 overs.

In response to this target, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/west-indies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Indies</a> had a terrible start. They lost their first 5 wickets for only 34 runs. Among these 5 wickets, four batters could not even touch a double-digit score. The hosts badly needed a good partnership, and Kieron Pollard came to the team&#8217;s rescue.

Pollard along with Denesh Ramdin shared a 145-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Ramdin got out after scoring 74 runs off 76 balls at the team score of 179. Pollard on the other hand played a match-winning knock of 89 runs off 70 balls. He smashed 5 fours and 6 sixes during his wonderful inning. West Indies chased down the total in 39.4 overs and registered a 3-wicket victory. Kieron Pollard was adjudged player of the match for his magnificent innings.

9. Kevin Pietersen &#8211; 116 after 68/6

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-420491" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kevin-Pietersen-century.jpg" alt="Kevin Pietersen century" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-420491" class="wp-caption-text">Kevin Pietersen century. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption>

This was the seventh ODI match of the England tour of South Africa. The host captain Graeme Smith won the toss and asked England to bat first. England did not have a good start with the bat and were 1-2 by the second over. They were reeling at 68/6 at the halfway mark and needed a miracle.

It was <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/robin-uthappa-recalls-when-ms-dhoni-asked-kevin-pietersen-to-please-keep-quiet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Pietersen</a> who played probably his best ODI knock to rescue the England side. He scored 116 runs off 110 balls including 10 fours and 6 sixes. The right-hander shared a 104-run partnership with Ashley Giles for the seventh wicket. England team got dismissed for 240 runs in 49.5 overs.

However, this total did not prove to be enough for the South Africa side. They chased down the target in 49 overs at the loss of seven wickets. Captain Graeme Smith, Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher played fine knocks to win the game for their side. Kevin Pietersen was chosen as the player of the match for his superb century.

8. MS Dhoni &#8211; 113 after 29/5

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-533138" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-batting.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni batting" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-533138" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni batting. (Photo Source: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption>

This was the first game of the three-match ODI series when Pakistan came to tour India in 2012. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq invited the hosts to bat first after winning the toss. India had a terrible start with their top order falling prey to Junaid Khan. The home team was struggling with 5 wickets down at the score of 29 runs.

Now all hopes were on captain MS Dhoni to rescue the side and put a fighting total. Dhoni took the challenge, and first shared a 73-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Suresh Raina. After this, he along with Ravi Ashwin added 125 runs for the seventh wicket. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/when-virender-sehwag-denied-the-rumors-of-ms-dhoni-ending-his-cricket-career/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> smashed a brilliant century with a score of 113 runs off 125 balls. He hit 7 fours and 3 sixes in the unbeaten knock.

India put up a total of 227/6 in 50 overs with a 31-run contribution from Ravi Ashwin as well. Chasing this target, Pakistan lost the first two wickets for 21 runs but Nasir Jamshed took the responsibility to take his team to a win. He scored 101 runs in 132 balls, and the team finally registered a 6-wicket victory with 11 balls to spare. MS Dhoni was adjudged as the player of the match for his wonderful century.

7. Hamilton Masakadza &#8211; 83 after 49/7

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-346459" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Hamilton-Masakadza.jpg" alt="Hamilton Masakadza" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-346459" class="wp-caption-text">Hamilton Masakadza. (Photo by Nigel Roddis &#8211; ICC/ICC via Getty Images)</figcaption>

This ODI was played during the three-match series between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in 2016. In the third game, Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura elected to bat first. However, this decision backfired as the team was reduced to 49/7 by 19th over. At this stage, even the score of 100 was looking difficult for the team.

From there, senior batsman Hamilton Masakadza took the responsibility and shared a century partnership with Graeme Cremer. Masakadza played a brilliant knock of 83 runs off 138 balls which included 6 fours and 3 sixes. The Zimbabwe team was all-out for 175 runs in 48.3 overs, and the onus was on bowlers to defend this total.

In response to this target, the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/afghanistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afghanistan</a> batsmen performed miserably as ten of them could not even touch the double-digit mark. The whole team was dismissed for 58 runs in 16.1 overs losing the match by 117 runs. Luke Jongwe picked up 5 wickets for only 6 runs in his 5.1 overs. Masakadza was given the player of the match award for his superb knock on a difficult pitch.

6. Imran Khan &#8211; 102 after 43/5

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-277647" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Imran-Khan-batting-1981.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277647" class="wp-caption-text">Imran Khan loses his cap whilst batting for Sussex. (Photo by Phil Sheldon/Popperfoto/Getty Images)</figcaption>

This was the ODI match in World Cup 1983 played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka captain Duleep Mendis won the toss and opted to bat first. The Pakistan team did not have a great start, and by the time the score reached 43, half of the batsmen were back in the pavilion.

It was captain Imran Khan who played a magnificent knock to rescue the team from a tough situation. He slammed a century scoring 102 runs off 133 balls including 11 fours. He stitched a 144-run partnership with Shahid Mahboob who scored 77 runs off 126 balls. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/pakistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pakistan</a> posted a total of 235/7 in 60 overs while Ashantha de Mel picked up 5 wickets.

Chasing this total, Sri Lanka started well and scored 162 runs for 2 wickets at one stage. However, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals from that point and were dismissed for 224 runs. Abdul Qadir who picked up 5 wickets for 44 runs was adjudged as the player of the match for helping the team to the 11-run win.

5. Michael Bevan &#8211; 78* after 38/6

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-408794" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Michael-Bevan.jpg" alt="Michael Bevan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-408794" class="wp-caption-text">Michael Bevan. (Photo by Getty Images)</figcaption>

This ODI game between West Indies and Australia was part of the Benson and Hedges World Series played in 1995-96. West Indies captain Courtney Walsh opted to bat first in the match which was reduced to 43 overs per side. The team kept losing wickets at regular intervals but Carl Hooper played a wonderful knock of 93 runs off 96 balls. He hit 8 fours in his vital knock, with the team scoring 172/9 in 43 overs.

In response to this total, Australian batsmen were completely clueless against the West Indies bowling. They lost their first 6 wickets for only 38 runs, and a win looked unlikely for them. However, it was all about Michael Bevan from thereon. He played a superb knock to put the team on the winning ways.

Bevan scored 78 runs off 88 balls and hit 6 fours during his unbeaten innings. He shared a mini-partnership of 36 runs for the seventh wicket with Ian Healey and then added 83 runs for the eighth wicket with Paul Reiffel. When Australia lost their ninth wicket at 167 runs, the match was still wide open.

In the last 3 balls, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a> needed 5 runs to win with Michael Bevan and Glenn McGrath at the crease. And on the very last ball, the team required 4 runs to win with Bevan on strike. He played a brilliant shot straight along the ground which went for four and won the match for his team. Paul Reiffel who took 4 wickets and scored 34 runs was selected as the player of the match.

4. Jos Buttler &#8211; 110 after 50/5

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-443308" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jos-Buttler-1-1.jpg" alt="Jos Buttler" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-443308" class="wp-caption-text">Jos Buttler. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

This was the fifth and final ODI of the Australia tour of England in 2018. Australia captain Tim Paine won the toss and elected to bat first. The visitors were all out for 205 runs in only 34.4 overs while batting first. Travis Head and D&#8217;Arcy Short played good knocks for the Aussie side while Moeen Ali picked up 4 wickets.

This looked like an easy chase, but the hosts&#8217; batsmen failed miserably. England lost their 5 wickets for only 50 runs, and from here, their win was looking improbable. By the time the score reached 114, the home team had lost 8 wickets. However, Jos Buttler who came to bat at number 6 was still going strong at one end.

The wicketkeeper-batsman slammed a magnificent century scoring 110 runs off 122 balls and ensured a victory for his team. Buttler shared an 81-run partnership for the 9th wicket with Adil Rashid and a mini partnership of 13 runs with Jake Ball for the 10th wicket. England won this match by 1 wicket with 9 balls to spare, and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/jos-buttler-picks-his-all-time-ipl-xi-no-place-for-suresh-raina/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jos Buttler</a> was adjudged as the player of the match.

3. Luke Ronchi &#8211; 170 after 93/5

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-150827" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Luke-Ronchi.jpg" alt="Luke Ronchi New Zealand" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-150827" class="wp-caption-text">Luke Ronchi. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

This match was played during the Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand in 2015. The Sri Lankan captain Lahiru Thirimanne won the toss and opted to bowl first. The hosts scored 51/1 at one stage but were soon reduced to 93/5. From there, Luke Ronchi played one of the greatest ODI knocks of New Zealand history scoring 170 runs off 99 balls.

Ronchi smashed 14 fours and 9 sixes in his innings. He shared an unbeaten partnership of 267 runs for the sixth wicket with Grant Elliott and guided the team to a big total of 360/5 in 50 overs. This is the highest partnership for the fifth or lower wicket in ODI history. Elliott scored 104 runs off 96 balls including 7 fours and 2 sixes.

In response to this total, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/sri-lanka/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sri Lanka</a> started well with opener Tillakaratne Dilshan hitting a century. However, the middle order could not provide good support, and the whole team was all-out for 252 runs. New Zealand registered a big victory by 108 runs with Luke Ronchi winning the player of the match award.

2. Marcus Stoinis &#8211; 146 after 67/6

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-356664" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/CT_348202.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-356664" class="wp-caption-text">SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA &#8211; JANUARY 12: Marcus Stoinis of Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)</figcaption>

This was the first ODI of Australia tour of New Zealand in 2017. The visiting captain Aaron Finch won the toss and asked New Zealand to bat first. The Kiwi team posted a total of 286/9 in 50 overs with Neil Broom playing a 73-run knock. Marcus Stoinis picked up 3 wickets for 49 runs in the bowling department.

In response to this target, the Aussie team had a horrible start. By the time score reached 67, they lost 6 wickets and a win looked completely out of the equation for them. However, it was all about Marcus Stoinis from thereon. He single-handedly brought the team to a winning position with a wonderful century.

Stoinis put together 81-runs for the 7th wicket with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-called-my-girlfriend-and-cried-on-the-phone-like-a-child-ishant-sharma-after-james-faulkner-hit-him-for-30-runs-in-an-over/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Faulkner</a>. At the score of 226, Australia lost their 9th wicket and needed 61 more runs for a win. For the next 4 overs, Stoinis played every ball by himself by keeping the strike and scored 54 runs during this phase. However, the non-striker Josh Hazlewood was run-out on the last ball of 47th over giving New Zealand a thrilling victory by only 6 runs. Stoinis smashed 146 runs off 117 balls with the help of 9 fours and 11 sixes and was chosen as the player of the match.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-490430" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kapil-Dev-1986.jpg" alt="Kapil Dev, 1986" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-490430" class="wp-caption-text">Kapil Dev, 1986. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)</figcaption>

This knock by Kapil Dev is considered among the greatest-ever in the history of ODI cricket. India were playing an important match against Zimbabwe in the World Cup 1983. Batting first, the Indian team looked completely clueless and lost 5 wickets for only 17 runs. Even touching the score of 50 was looking difficult from that situation.

However, captain Kapil Dev rescued the team with an incredible batting show. He stitched some vital partnerships with the lower order batters and powered the team to a total of 266/8. Kapil Dev smashed 175 runs off 138 balls and hit 16 fours and 6 sixes in his unbeaten knock. He along with Syed Kirmani shared a 126-run partnership for the 8th wicket.

In response to this chase, the Zimbabwe batsmen could not do well, and the team faced regular fall of wickets. Zimbabwe was all-out for 235 runs losing the match by 31 runs. Kapil Dev was adjudged as the player of the match for the wonderful hundred.

In a format like ODI, it is very tough for a team to recover if all the top order batsmen fail to perform. Given that the run rate also needs to be kept in mind in midst of the continuous fall of wickets, scoring becomes quite difficult. However, we have seen some batsmen play memorable knocks to rescue their team from such situations.
Particularly, if those innings are played in a chase, or in an important clash of a global event like the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/5-finishers-india-should-groom-ahead-of-2023-odi-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Cup</a>, that batting performance is remembered forever. In this particular article, we will be ranking the ten greatest rescue knocks in the history of ODI cricket after an early collapse.
We have used various criteria to rank the knocks which include the match situation, final result, pitch conditions and the importance of the match. A knock that has resulted in a win is given slightly more importance and similarly, a big inning in a low-scoring match has earned higher credit.
<h3>Let’s have a look at 10 such knocks of ODI history</h3>
<h3>10. Kieron Pollard – 89 after 34/5</h3>
<figure id="attachment_404235" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404235" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-404235" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kieron-Pollard.jpg" alt="Kieron Pollard" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-404235" class="wp-caption-text">Kieron Pollard. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This was the first ODI of a three-match series played between the West Indies and Bangladesh in 2014 played at National Cricket Stadium, St George’s. The West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo won the toss and elected to bowl first. Bangladesh opener Anamul Haque slammed a brilliant century for his side batting first. He scored 109 runs off 138 balls including 11 fours and 1 six. The visitors posted a total of 217/9 in 50 overs.
In response to this target, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/west-indies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Indies</a> had a terrible start. They lost their first 5 wickets for only 34 runs. Among these 5 wickets, four batters could not even touch a double-digit score. The hosts badly needed a good partnership, and Kieron Pollard came to the team’s rescue.
Pollard along with Denesh Ramdin shared a 145-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Ramdin got out after scoring 74 runs off 76 balls at the team score of 179. Pollard on the other hand played a match-winning knock of 89 runs off 70 balls. He smashed 5 fours and 6 sixes during his wonderful inning. West Indies chased down the total in 39.4 overs and registered a 3-wicket victory. Kieron Pollard was adjudged player of the match for his magnificent innings.

<h3>9. Kevin Pietersen – 116 after 68/6&nbsp;</h3>
<figure id="attachment_420491" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-420491" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-420491" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kevin-Pietersen-century.jpg" alt="Kevin Pietersen century" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-420491" class="wp-caption-text">Kevin Pietersen century. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This was the seventh ODI match of the England tour of South Africa. The host captain Graeme Smith won the toss and asked England to bat first. England did not have a good start with the bat and were 1-2 by the second over. They were reeling at 68/6 at the halfway mark and needed a miracle.
It was <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/robin-uthappa-recalls-when-ms-dhoni-asked-kevin-pietersen-to-please-keep-quiet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Pietersen</a> who played probably his best ODI knock to rescue the England side. He scored 116 runs off 110 balls including 10 fours and 6 sixes. The right-hander shared a 104-run partnership with Ashley Giles for the seventh wicket. England team got dismissed for 240 runs in 49.5 overs.
However, this total did not prove to be enough for the South Africa side. They chased down the target in 49 overs at the loss of seven wickets. Captain Graeme Smith, Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher played fine knocks to win the game for their side. Kevin Pietersen was chosen as the player of the match for his superb century.

<h3>8. MS Dhoni – 113 after 29/5</h3>
<figure id="attachment_533138" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-533138" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-533138" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-batting.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni batting" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-533138" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni batting. (Photo Source: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This was the first game of the three-match ODI series when Pakistan came to tour India in 2012. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq invited the hosts to bat first after winning the toss. India had a terrible start with their top order falling prey to Junaid Khan. The home team was struggling with 5 wickets down at the score of 29 runs.
Now all hopes were on captain MS Dhoni to rescue the side and put a fighting total. Dhoni took the challenge, and first shared a 73-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Suresh Raina. After this, he along with Ravi Ashwin added 125 runs for the seventh wicket. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/when-virender-sehwag-denied-the-rumors-of-ms-dhoni-ending-his-cricket-career/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> smashed a brilliant century with a score of 113 runs off 125 balls. He hit 7 fours and 3 sixes in the unbeaten knock.
India put up a total of 227/6 in 50 overs with a 31-run contribution from Ravi Ashwin as well. Chasing this target, Pakistan lost the first two wickets for 21 runs but Nasir Jamshed took the responsibility to take his team to a win. He scored 101 runs in 132 balls, and the team finally registered a 6-wicket victory with 11 balls to spare. MS Dhoni was adjudged as the player of the match for his wonderful century.

<h3>7. Hamilton Masakadza – 83 after 49/7</h3>
<figure id="attachment_346459" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-346459" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-346459" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Hamilton-Masakadza.jpg" alt="Hamilton Masakadza" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-346459" class="wp-caption-text">Hamilton Masakadza. (Photo by Nigel Roddis – ICC/ICC via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This ODI was played during the three-match series between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in 2016. In the third game, Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura elected to bat first. However, this decision backfired as the team was reduced to 49/7 by 19th over. At this stage, even the score of 100 was looking difficult for the team.
From there, senior batsman Hamilton Masakadza took the responsibility and shared a century partnership with Graeme Cremer. Masakadza played a brilliant knock of 83 runs off 138 balls which included 6 fours and 3 sixes. The Zimbabwe team was all-out for 175 runs in 48.3 overs, and the onus was on bowlers to defend this total.
In response to this target, the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/afghanistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afghanistan</a> batsmen performed miserably as ten of them could not even touch the double-digit mark. The whole team was dismissed for 58 runs in 16.1 overs losing the match by 117 runs. Luke Jongwe picked up 5 wickets for only 6 runs in his 5.1 overs. Masakadza was given the player of the match award for his superb knock on a difficult pitch.

<h3>6. Imran Khan – 102 after 43/5</h3>
<figure id="attachment_277647" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277647" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-277647" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Imran-Khan-batting-1981.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277647" class="wp-caption-text">Imran Khan loses his cap whilst batting for Sussex. (Photo by Phil Sheldon/Popperfoto/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This was the ODI match in World Cup 1983 played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka captain Duleep Mendis won the toss and opted to bat first. The Pakistan team did not have a great start, and by the time the score reached 43, half of the batsmen were back in the pavilion.
It was captain Imran Khan who played a magnificent knock to rescue the team from a tough situation. He slammed a century scoring 102 runs off 133 balls including 11 fours. He stitched a 144-run partnership with Shahid Mahboob who scored 77 runs off 126 balls. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/pakistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pakistan</a> posted a total of 235/7 in 60 overs while Ashantha de Mel picked up 5 wickets.
Chasing this total, Sri Lanka started well and scored 162 runs for 2 wickets at one stage. However, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals from that point and were dismissed for 224 runs. Abdul Qadir who picked up 5 wickets for 44 runs was adjudged as the player of the match for helping the team to the 11-run win.

<h3>5. Michael Bevan – 78* after 38/6&nbsp;</h3>
<figure id="attachment_408794" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-408794" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-408794" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Michael-Bevan.jpg" alt="Michael Bevan" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-408794" class="wp-caption-text">Michael Bevan. (Photo by Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This ODI game between West Indies and Australia was part of the Benson and Hedges World Series played in 1995-96. West Indies captain Courtney Walsh opted to bat first in the match which was reduced to 43 overs per side. The team kept losing wickets at regular intervals but Carl Hooper played a wonderful knock of 93 runs off 96 balls. He hit 8 fours in his vital knock, with the team scoring 172/9 in 43 overs.
In response to this total, Australian batsmen were completely clueless against the West Indies bowling. They lost their first 6 wickets for only 38 runs, and a win looked unlikely for them. However, it was all about Michael Bevan from thereon. He played a superb knock to put the team on the winning ways.
Bevan scored 78 runs off 88 balls and hit 6 fours during his unbeaten innings. He shared a mini-partnership of 36 runs for the seventh wicket with Ian Healey and then added 83 runs for the eighth wicket with Paul Reiffel. When Australia lost their ninth wicket at 167 runs, the match was still wide open.
In the last 3 balls, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a> needed 5 runs to win with Michael Bevan and Glenn McGrath at the crease. And on the very last ball, the team required 4 runs to win with Bevan on strike. He played a brilliant shot straight along the ground which went for four and won the match for his team. Paul Reiffel who took 4 wickets and scored 34 runs was selected as the player of the match.

<h3>4. Jos Buttler – 110 after 50/5&nbsp;</h3>
<figure id="attachment_443308" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-443308" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-443308" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jos-Buttler-1-1.jpg" alt="Jos Buttler" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-443308" class="wp-caption-text">Jos Buttler. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This was the fifth and final ODI of the Australia tour of England in 2018. Australia captain Tim Paine won the toss and elected to bat first. The visitors were all out for 205 runs in only 34.4 overs while batting first. Travis Head and D’Arcy Short played good knocks for the Aussie side while Moeen Ali picked up 4 wickets.
This looked like an easy chase, but the hosts’ batsmen failed miserably. England lost their 5 wickets for only 50 runs, and from here, their win was looking improbable. By the time the score reached 114, the home team had lost 8 wickets. However, Jos Buttler who came to bat at number 6 was still going strong at one end.
The wicketkeeper-batsman slammed a magnificent century scoring 110 runs off 122 balls and ensured a victory for his team. Buttler shared an 81-run partnership for the 9th wicket with Adil Rashid and a mini partnership of 13 runs with Jake Ball for the 10th wicket. England won this match by 1 wicket with 9 balls to spare, and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/jos-buttler-picks-his-all-time-ipl-xi-no-place-for-suresh-raina/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jos Buttler</a> was adjudged as the player of the match.

<h3>3. Luke Ronchi – 170 after 93/5</h3>
<figure id="attachment_150827" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-150827" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-150827" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Luke-Ronchi.jpg" alt="Luke Ronchi New Zealand" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-150827" class="wp-caption-text">Luke Ronchi. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This match was played during the Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand in 2015. The Sri Lankan captain Lahiru Thirimanne won the toss and opted to bowl first. The hosts scored 51/1 at one stage but were soon reduced to 93/5. From there, Luke Ronchi played one of the greatest ODI knocks of New Zealand history scoring 170 runs off 99 balls.
Ronchi smashed 14 fours and 9 sixes in his innings. He shared an unbeaten partnership of 267 runs for the sixth wicket with Grant Elliott and guided the team to a big total of 360/5 in 50 overs. This is the highest partnership for the fifth or lower wicket in ODI history. Elliott scored 104 runs off 96 balls including 7 fours and 2 sixes.
In response to this total, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/sri-lanka/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sri Lanka</a> started well with opener Tillakaratne Dilshan hitting a century. However, the middle order could not provide good support, and the whole team was all-out for 252 runs. New Zealand registered a big victory by 108 runs with Luke Ronchi winning the player of the match award.

<h3>2. Marcus Stoinis – 146 after 67/6</h3>
<figure id="attachment_356664" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-356664" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-356664" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/CT_348202.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-356664" class="wp-caption-text">SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 12: Marcus Stoinis of Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This was the first ODI of Australia tour of New Zealand in 2017. The visiting captain Aaron Finch won the toss and asked New Zealand to bat first. The Kiwi team posted a total of 286/9 in 50 overs with Neil Broom playing a 73-run knock. Marcus Stoinis picked up 3 wickets for 49 runs in the bowling department.
In response to this target, the Aussie team had a horrible start. By the time score reached 67, they lost 6 wickets and a win looked completely out of the equation for them. However, it was all about Marcus Stoinis from thereon. He single-handedly brought the team to a winning position with a wonderful century.
Stoinis put together 81-runs for the 7th wicket with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-called-my-girlfriend-and-cried-on-the-phone-like-a-child-ishant-sharma-after-james-faulkner-hit-him-for-30-runs-in-an-over/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Faulkner</a>. At the score of 226, Australia lost their 9th wicket and needed 61 more runs for a win. For the next 4 overs, Stoinis played every ball by himself by keeping the strike and scored 54 runs during this phase. However, the non-striker Josh Hazlewood was run-out on the last ball of 47th over giving New Zealand a thrilling victory by only 6 runs. Stoinis smashed 146 runs off 117 balls with the help of 9 fours and 11 sixes and was chosen as the player of the match.

<h3>1. Kapil Dev – 175 after 17/5</h3>
<figure id="attachment_490430" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-490430" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-490430" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kapil-Dev-1986.jpg" alt="Kapil Dev, 1986" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-490430" class="wp-caption-text">Kapil Dev, 1986. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This knock by Kapil Dev is considered among the greatest-ever in the history of ODI cricket. India were playing an important match against Zimbabwe in the World Cup 1983. Batting first, the Indian team looked completely clueless and lost 5 wickets for only 17 runs. Even touching the score of 50 was looking difficult from that situation.
However, captain Kapil Dev rescued the team with an incredible batting show. He stitched some vital partnerships with the lower order batters and powered the team to a total of 266/8. Kapil Dev smashed 175 runs off 138 balls and hit 16 fours and 6 sixes in his unbeaten knock. He along with Syed Kirmani shared a 126-run partnership for the 8th wicket.
In response to this chase, the Zimbabwe batsmen could not do well, and the team faced regular fall of wickets. Zimbabwe was all-out for 235 runs losing the match by 31 runs. Kapil Dev was adjudged as the player of the match for the wonderful hundred.

In a format like ODI, it is very tough for a team to recover if all the top order batsmen fail to perform. Given that the run rate also needs to be kept in mind in midst of the continuous fall of wickets, scoring becomes quite difficult. However, we have seen some batsmen play memorable knocks to rescue their team from such situations.
Particularly, if those innings are played in a chase, or in an important clash of a global event like the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/5-finishers-india-should-groom-ahead-of-2023-odi-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Cup</a>, that batting performance is remembered forever. In this particular article, we will be ranking the ten greatest rescue knocks in the history of ODI cricket after an early collapse.
We have used various criteria to rank the knocks which include the match situation, final result, pitch conditions and the importance of the match. A knock that has resulted in a win is given slightly more importance and similarly, a big inning in a low-scoring match has earned higher credit.
<h3>Let&#8217;s have a look at 10 such knocks of ODI history</h3>
<h3>10. Kieron Pollard &#8211; 89 after 34/5</h3>
<figure id="attachment_404235" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-404235" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-404235" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kieron-Pollard.jpg" alt="Kieron Pollard" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-404235" class="wp-caption-text">Kieron Pollard. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This was the first ODI of a three-match series played between the West Indies and Bangladesh in 2014 played at National Cricket Stadium, St George&#8217;s. The West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo won the toss and elected to bowl first. Bangladesh opener Anamul Haque slammed a brilliant century for his side batting first. He scored 109 runs off 138 balls including 11 fours and 1 six. The visitors posted a total of 217/9 in 50 overs.
In response to this target, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/west-indies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Indies</a> had a terrible start. They lost their first 5 wickets for only 34 runs. Among these 5 wickets, four batters could not even touch a double-digit score. The hosts badly needed a good partnership, and Kieron Pollard came to the team&#8217;s rescue.
Pollard along with Denesh Ramdin shared a 145-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Ramdin got out after scoring 74 runs off 76 balls at the team score of 179. Pollard on the other hand played a match-winning knock of 89 runs off 70 balls. He smashed 5 fours and 6 sixes during his wonderful inning. West Indies chased down the total in 39.4 overs and registered a 3-wicket victory. Kieron Pollard was adjudged player of the match for his magnificent innings.

<h3>9. Kevin Pietersen &#8211; 116 after 68/6 </h3>
<figure id="attachment_420491" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-420491" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-420491" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kevin-Pietersen-century.jpg" alt="Kevin Pietersen century" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-420491" class="wp-caption-text">Kevin Pietersen century. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This was the seventh ODI match of the England tour of South Africa. The host captain Graeme Smith won the toss and asked England to bat first. England did not have a good start with the bat and were 1-2 by the second over. They were reeling at 68/6 at the halfway mark and needed a miracle.
It was <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/robin-uthappa-recalls-when-ms-dhoni-asked-kevin-pietersen-to-please-keep-quiet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Pietersen</a> who played probably his best ODI knock to rescue the England side. He scored 116 runs off 110 balls including 10 fours and 6 sixes. The right-hander shared a 104-run partnership with Ashley Giles for the seventh wicket. England team got dismissed for 240 runs in 49.5 overs.
However, this total did not prove to be enough for the South Africa side. They chased down the target in 49 overs at the loss of seven wickets. Captain Graeme Smith, Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher played fine knocks to win the game for their side. Kevin Pietersen was chosen as the player of the match for his superb century.

<h3>8. MS Dhoni &#8211; 113 after 29/5</h3>
<figure id="attachment_533138" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-533138" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-533138" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-batting.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni batting" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-533138" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni batting. (Photo Source: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This was the first game of the three-match ODI series when Pakistan came to tour India in 2012. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq invited the hosts to bat first after winning the toss. India had a terrible start with their top order falling prey to Junaid Khan. The home team was struggling with 5 wickets down at the score of 29 runs.
Now all hopes were on captain MS Dhoni to rescue the side and put a fighting total. Dhoni took the challenge, and first shared a 73-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Suresh Raina. After this, he along with Ravi Ashwin added 125 runs for the seventh wicket. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/when-virender-sehwag-denied-the-rumors-of-ms-dhoni-ending-his-cricket-career/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> smashed a brilliant century with a score of 113 runs off 125 balls. He hit 7 fours and 3 sixes in the unbeaten knock.
India put up a total of 227/6 in 50 overs with a 31-run contribution from Ravi Ashwin as well. Chasing this target, Pakistan lost the first two wickets for 21 runs but Nasir Jamshed took the responsibility to take his team to a win. He scored 101 runs in 132 balls, and the team finally registered a 6-wicket victory with 11 balls to spare. MS Dhoni was adjudged as the player of the match for his wonderful century.

<h3>7. Hamilton Masakadza &#8211; 83 after 49/7</h3>
<figure id="attachment_346459" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-346459" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-346459" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Hamilton-Masakadza.jpg" alt="Hamilton Masakadza" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-346459" class="wp-caption-text">Hamilton Masakadza. (Photo by Nigel Roddis &#8211; ICC/ICC via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This ODI was played during the three-match series between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in 2016. In the third game, Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura elected to bat first. However, this decision backfired as the team was reduced to 49/7 by 19th over. At this stage, even the score of 100 was looking difficult for the team.
From there, senior batsman Hamilton Masakadza took the responsibility and shared a century partnership with Graeme Cremer. Masakadza played a brilliant knock of 83 runs off 138 balls which included 6 fours and 3 sixes. The Zimbabwe team was all-out for 175 runs in 48.3 overs, and the onus was on bowlers to defend this total.
In response to this target, the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/afghanistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afghanistan</a> batsmen performed miserably as ten of them could not even touch the double-digit mark. The whole team was dismissed for 58 runs in 16.1 overs losing the match by 117 runs. Luke Jongwe picked up 5 wickets for only 6 runs in his 5.1 overs. Masakadza was given the player of the match award for his superb knock on a difficult pitch.

<h3>6. Imran Khan &#8211; 102 after 43/5</h3>
<figure id="attachment_277647" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277647" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-277647" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Imran-Khan-batting-1981.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277647" class="wp-caption-text">Imran Khan loses his cap whilst batting for Sussex. (Photo by Phil Sheldon/Popperfoto/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This was the ODI match in World Cup 1983 played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka captain Duleep Mendis won the toss and opted to bat first. The Pakistan team did not have a great start, and by the time the score reached 43, half of the batsmen were back in the pavilion.
It was captain Imran Khan who played a magnificent knock to rescue the team from a tough situation. He slammed a century scoring 102 runs off 133 balls including 11 fours. He stitched a 144-run partnership with Shahid Mahboob who scored 77 runs off 126 balls. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/pakistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pakistan</a> posted a total of 235/7 in 60 overs while Ashantha de Mel picked up 5 wickets.
Chasing this total, Sri Lanka started well and scored 162 runs for 2 wickets at one stage. However, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals from that point and were dismissed for 224 runs. Abdul Qadir who picked up 5 wickets for 44 runs was adjudged as the player of the match for helping the team to the 11-run win.

<h3>5. Michael Bevan &#8211; 78* after 38/6 </h3>
<figure id="attachment_408794" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-408794" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-408794" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Michael-Bevan.jpg" alt="Michael Bevan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-408794" class="wp-caption-text">Michael Bevan. (Photo by Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This ODI game between West Indies and Australia was part of the Benson and Hedges World Series played in 1995-96. West Indies captain Courtney Walsh opted to bat first in the match which was reduced to 43 overs per side. The team kept losing wickets at regular intervals but Carl Hooper played a wonderful knock of 93 runs off 96 balls. He hit 8 fours in his vital knock, with the team scoring 172/9 in 43 overs.
In response to this total, Australian batsmen were completely clueless against the West Indies bowling. They lost their first 6 wickets for only 38 runs, and a win looked unlikely for them. However, it was all about Michael Bevan from thereon. He played a superb knock to put the team on the winning ways.
Bevan scored 78 runs off 88 balls and hit 6 fours during his unbeaten innings. He shared a mini-partnership of 36 runs for the seventh wicket with Ian Healey and then added 83 runs for the eighth wicket with Paul Reiffel. When Australia lost their ninth wicket at 167 runs, the match was still wide open.
In the last 3 balls, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a> needed 5 runs to win with Michael Bevan and Glenn McGrath at the crease. And on the very last ball, the team required 4 runs to win with Bevan on strike. He played a brilliant shot straight along the ground which went for four and won the match for his team. Paul Reiffel who took 4 wickets and scored 34 runs was selected as the player of the match.

<h3>4. Jos Buttler &#8211; 110 after 50/5 </h3>
<figure id="attachment_443308" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-443308" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-443308" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jos-Buttler-1-1.jpg" alt="Jos Buttler" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-443308" class="wp-caption-text">Jos Buttler. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This was the fifth and final ODI of the Australia tour of England in 2018. Australia captain Tim Paine won the toss and elected to bat first. The visitors were all out for 205 runs in only 34.4 overs while batting first. Travis Head and D&#8217;Arcy Short played good knocks for the Aussie side while Moeen Ali picked up 4 wickets.
This looked like an easy chase, but the hosts&#8217; batsmen failed miserably. England lost their 5 wickets for only 50 runs, and from here, their win was looking improbable. By the time the score reached 114, the home team had lost 8 wickets. However, Jos Buttler who came to bat at number 6 was still going strong at one end.
The wicketkeeper-batsman slammed a magnificent century scoring 110 runs off 122 balls and ensured a victory for his team. Buttler shared an 81-run partnership for the 9th wicket with Adil Rashid and a mini partnership of 13 runs with Jake Ball for the 10th wicket. England won this match by 1 wicket with 9 balls to spare, and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/jos-buttler-picks-his-all-time-ipl-xi-no-place-for-suresh-raina/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jos Buttler</a> was adjudged as the player of the match.

<h3>3. Luke Ronchi &#8211; 170 after 93/5</h3>
<figure id="attachment_150827" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-150827" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-150827" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Luke-Ronchi.jpg" alt="Luke Ronchi New Zealand" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-150827" class="wp-caption-text">Luke Ronchi. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This match was played during the Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand in 2015. The Sri Lankan captain Lahiru Thirimanne won the toss and opted to bowl first. The hosts scored 51/1 at one stage but were soon reduced to 93/5. From there, Luke Ronchi played one of the greatest ODI knocks of New Zealand history scoring 170 runs off 99 balls.
Ronchi smashed 14 fours and 9 sixes in his innings. He shared an unbeaten partnership of 267 runs for the sixth wicket with Grant Elliott and guided the team to a big total of 360/5 in 50 overs. This is the highest partnership for the fifth or lower wicket in ODI history. Elliott scored 104 runs off 96 balls including 7 fours and 2 sixes.
In response to this total, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/sri-lanka/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sri Lanka</a> started well with opener Tillakaratne Dilshan hitting a century. However, the middle order could not provide good support, and the whole team was all-out for 252 runs. New Zealand registered a big victory by 108 runs with Luke Ronchi winning the player of the match award.

<h3>2. Marcus Stoinis &#8211; 146 after 67/6</h3>
<figure id="attachment_356664" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-356664" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-356664" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/CT_348202.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-356664" class="wp-caption-text">SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA &#8211; JANUARY 12: Marcus Stoinis of Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This was the first ODI of Australia tour of New Zealand in 2017. The visiting captain Aaron Finch won the toss and asked New Zealand to bat first. The Kiwi team posted a total of 286/9 in 50 overs with Neil Broom playing a 73-run knock. Marcus Stoinis picked up 3 wickets for 49 runs in the bowling department.
In response to this target, the Aussie team had a horrible start. By the time score reached 67, they lost 6 wickets and a win looked completely out of the equation for them. However, it was all about Marcus Stoinis from thereon. He single-handedly brought the team to a winning position with a wonderful century.
Stoinis put together 81-runs for the 7th wicket with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-called-my-girlfriend-and-cried-on-the-phone-like-a-child-ishant-sharma-after-james-faulkner-hit-him-for-30-runs-in-an-over/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Faulkner</a>. At the score of 226, Australia lost their 9th wicket and needed 61 more runs for a win. For the next 4 overs, Stoinis played every ball by himself by keeping the strike and scored 54 runs during this phase. However, the non-striker Josh Hazlewood was run-out on the last ball of 47th over giving New Zealand a thrilling victory by only 6 runs. Stoinis smashed 146 runs off 117 balls with the help of 9 fours and 11 sixes and was chosen as the player of the match.

<h3>1. Kapil Dev &#8211; 175 after 17/5</h3>
<figure id="attachment_490430" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-490430" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-490430" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kapil-Dev-1986.jpg" alt="Kapil Dev, 1986" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-490430" class="wp-caption-text">Kapil Dev, 1986. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This knock by Kapil Dev is considered among the greatest-ever in the history of ODI cricket. India were playing an important match against Zimbabwe in the World Cup 1983. Batting first, the Indian team looked completely clueless and lost 5 wickets for only 17 runs. Even touching the score of 50 was looking difficult from that situation.
However, captain Kapil Dev rescued the team with an incredible batting show. He stitched some vital partnerships with the lower order batters and powered the team to a total of 266/8. Kapil Dev smashed 175 runs off 138 balls and hit 16 fours and 6 sixes in his unbeaten knock. He along with Syed Kirmani shared a 126-run partnership for the 8th wicket.
In response to this chase, the Zimbabwe batsmen could not do well, and the team faced regular fall of wickets. Zimbabwe was all-out for 235 runs losing the match by 31 runs. Kapil Dev was adjudged as the player of the match for the wonderful hundred.

It is very tough for a team to recover if all the top order batsmen fail to perform.

Ranking 10 greatest rescue knocks after early collapse in ODI history

In a format like ODI, it is very tough for a team to recover if all the top order batsmen fail to perform. Given that the run rate also needs