Lowest scores in ODI cricket: Zimbabwe, USA share undesired record

Putting up sub-par scores is probably the worst nightmare for any cricket team, especially in the 50-over format. The Zimbabwe and USA cricket teams jointly hold the record for the lowest ODI score in men’s cricket - 35 runs**.**

Zimbabwe's nightmare on the cricket pitch played out at the Harare Sports Club on April 5, 2004, against Sri Lanka. It was the third ODI of the series.

The Lankans won the toss and elected to field first. Captain Marvan Atapattu’s decision was promptly backed by his pacers as Chaminda Vaas (four), Farveez Maharoof (three) and Dilhara Fernando (two) combined to pick up nine Zimbabwean wickets. The other dismissal was a run out.

Dion Ebrahim was Zimbabwe’s top scorer with seven runs. Sri Lanka chased the target down in 9.2 overs.

It took 16 years for another team to match the unwanted mark. On February 12, 2020, the United States men’s cricket team were bundled out for 35 - the lowest score in ODI - against Nepal at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground.

USA, put in to bat, couldn’t cope with Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who picked up 6 wickets for 16 runs. Fellow spinner Sushan Bhari accounted for the other four. Opener Xavier Marshall was USA’s top-scorer with 16. Nepal lost two wickets but chased the total down in 5.2 overs.

Before Zimbabwe and USA’s forgettable days, the record for the lowest total in ODI cricket belonged to Canada, who put up 36 against Sri Lanka at Paarl during a ICC Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup 2003 match in South Africa. 

During a group match in the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka, again, bundled out the Canadian cricket team for a measly 36 in Paarl. Canada’s 36 against Sri Lanka is still the lowest score in ODI World Cup cricket.

Canada were also the first team to ever register a sub-50 total in ODI cricket. The entire Canada men’s national cricket team was sent back to the pavilion for a paltry 45 runs by England in a 1979 World Cup match at Manchester.

Franklyn Dennis, the highest scorer for Canada in the match with 21, was interestingly dismissed through a hit-wicket - a rarity in cricket.

India’s lowest score in ODI cricket is 54 against Sri Lanka at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 29, 2000. After Sanath Jaysuriya’s 189 powered Sri Lanka to 299 in what was the final of a Champions Trophy, the Indian batting line-up, featuring legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh, collapsed.

Robin Singh, with 11, was the only Indian to cross double digits in the match.

Lowest ODI score