Five thousand men’s One-Day Internationals have now been played across more than half a century, giving cricket one of those rare milestones that deserves more than a statistical graphic or nostalgic highlight reel.

The ODI No. 5000 has been marked by examining how the format has evolved across 55 years, including the rise of six-hitting, changing patterns in centuries and five-wicket hauls, and the venues that have hosted the most matches.

The numbers tell us how ODI cricket changed.

They cannot fully explain why certain matches still make fans stop what they are doing when somebody mentions them decades later.

That is where The Sports Encounter is going next.

We are launching a 100-episode editorial series titled A Celebration of 5000 ODIs. Each episode will revisit one of the most thrilling men’s ODIs ever played, reconstructing the pressure, turning points, individual brilliance and critical decisions that turned an ordinary scorecard into cricket history.

This opening article is the roadmap for that journey.

We have deliberately restricted the collection to matches involving ten nations that have played major roles in shaping ODI cricket:

Australia, England, South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, West Indies and Afghanistan.

Our selection follows a clear priority:

1. World Cup matches
2. Tri-nation and multi-nation tournaments
3. Bilateral series

Close finishes naturally receive considerable weight, particularly last-over and last-ball games. Yet the final margin alone cannot define excitement.

Some of cricket’s greatest ODIs were transformed much earlier.

A team may have defended a total that appeared hopelessly inadequate. Another may have recovered from seven wickets down. One batter may have produced an innings that broke every reasonable expectation. A bowler may have turned a comfortable chase into panic within six deliveries.

Those are the games we want to revisit.

Readers can follow our wider coverage through The Sports Encounter Cricket Hub, including our deeper looks at Pakistan’s most lethal fast bowlers and why Asia still romanticizes Pakistan’s fast-bowling past.

What Makes an ODI Worthy of the Top 100?

Our selection is built around five broad tests.

Pressure

Was the match still genuinely alive deep into the closing overs?

Improbability

Did a team recover from a position where defeat seemed almost inevitable?

Individual brilliance

Did one player produce an innings, spell, partnership or moment that completely altered the contest?

Context

Was it a World Cup knockout, tournament final, qualification battle or emotionally significant rivalry?

Memory

Years later, does simply mentioning the match still trigger an immediate reaction from cricket supporters?

World Cups naturally dominate the list because the ICC Cricket World Cup repeatedly puts ODI cricket under its greatest pressure.

But some of the format’s finest drama has also unfolded at Sharjah, Sydney, Johannesburg, Adelaide, Kingston, Bulawayo, Port Elizabeth and countless other venues where a bilateral ODI suddenly felt as important as a tournament final.

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World Cup Classics: Episodes 1–45

1. West Indies vs Pakistan, 1975 World Cup

Why we picked it: Pakistan appeared to have done enough after setting West Indies 267. The chase collapsed to 203 for 9 before wicketkeeper Deryck Murray and No. 11 Andy Roberts somehow completed a one-wicket escape.

It remains one of ODI cricket’s earliest examples of a match refusing to end when everybody believed it was finished.

2. England vs Australia, 1975 World Cup Semifinal

Why we picked it: Australia needed only 94 but crashed to 39 for 6. Gary Gilmour, who had already destroyed England with 6 for 14, then contributed with the bat as Australia survived.

A tiny target somehow became a semifinal thriller.

3. West Indies vs Australia, 1975 World Cup Final

Why we picked it: Clive Lloyd produced a magnificent century, Australia suffered five run-outs, and the inaugural World Cup final remained competitive deep enough to establish the new tournament’s dramatic potential.

4. India vs Zimbabwe, 1983 World Cup

Why we picked it: India were 17 for 5 when Kapil Dev walked into one of cricket’s most famous crises.

His unbeaten 175 transformed disaster into victory and became one of the foundational innings of India’s World Cup history.

5. India vs West Indies, 1983 World Cup Final

Why we picked it: India managed only 183 against a West Indies side chasing a third consecutive title.

Instead of surrendering, India’s bowlers turned an apparently inadequate score into one of sport’s great upsets.

6. Australia vs India, 1987 World Cup

Why we picked it: India needed 271 in Chennai and finished 269 all out.

Australia won by one run, producing a perfect early example of World Cup pressure reducing an entire match to the smallest possible margin.

7. Australia vs England, 1987 World Cup Final

Why we picked it: England still had a genuine chance late in the chase before Australia held their nerve to win by seven runs.

Mike Gatting’s reverse sweep became one of the enduring moments of World Cup debate.

8. Australia vs Pakistan, 1987 World Cup Semifinal

Why we picked it: Pakistan’s home World Cup dream faced Australia in Lahore.

The chase remained possible long enough to keep the stadium believing before Australia finally secured an 18-run victory.

9. Pakistan vs New Zealand, 1992 World Cup Semifinal

Why we picked it: New Zealand had been arguably the tournament’s most convincing team.

Then a young Inzamam-ul-Haq arrived.

His 60 from 37 balls altered the semifinal almost instantly and announced one of Pakistan cricket’s great batting talents.

10. Zimbabwe vs England, 1992 World Cup

Why we picked it: Zimbabwe scored only 134.

England should have won comfortably.

Instead, Eddo Brandes and Zimbabwe’s bowlers dismissed them for 125, producing one of the greatest low-total defenses in World Cup history.

11. South Africa vs England, 1992 World Cup Semifinal

Why we picked it: South Africa’s requirement went from 22 runs from 13 balls to 22 from one after rain and the tournament’s controversial calculation system intervened.

The finish became infamous and helped accelerate cricket’s search for a fairer rain rule.

12. Australia vs West Indies, 1996 World Cup Semifinal

Why we picked it: West Indies reached 165 for 2 chasing only 208.

The match looked over.

Australia, led by Shane Warne, somehow triggered a collapse and won by five runs.

13. West Indies vs South Africa, 1996 World Cup Quarterfinal

Why we picked it: South Africa entered as major contenders before Brian Lara produced a brilliant 111.

West Indies defended 264 and eliminated one of the tournament favorites.

14. Australia vs South Africa, 1999 World Cup Super Six

Why we picked it: Herschelle Gibbs appeared to catch Steve Waugh but failed to complete the dismissal.

Waugh survived and made an unbeaten 120 as Australia chased 272 and kept their World Cup alive.

What happened next made the moment even bigger.

15. Australia vs South Africa, 1999 World Cup Semifinal

Why we picked it: South Africa needed one run with four balls remaining.

Lance Klusener and Allan Donald then ended up stranded at the same end.

The match was tied. Australia advanced.

Few finishes in any sport have combined pressure, confusion and consequence so brutally.

16. Zimbabwe vs India, 1999 World Cup

Why we picked it: India appeared to have recovered during a difficult chase before Henry Olonga attacked the tail.

Zimbabwe won by three runs after India lost their final wickets in a devastating late collapse.

17. Pakistan vs Australia, 1999 World Cup

Why we picked it: Pakistan’s 275 gave Australia a substantial chase at Headingley.

Australia stayed close enough to create tension before Pakistan’s bowling attack closed out a ten-run win.

18. West Indies vs South Africa, 2003 World Cup

Why we picked it: Brian Lara’s 116 pushed West Indies to 278.

South Africa replied with 275 and fell three runs short in the tournament opener, immediately placing the hosts under enormous pressure.

19. England vs Australia, 2003 World Cup

Why we picked it: Australia were 135 for 8 chasing 205.

England appeared certain to win.

Michael Bevan and Andy Bichel then produced an extraordinary unbeaten partnership and stole victory by two wickets.

20. South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 2003 World Cup

Why we picked it: Rain returned to haunt South Africa.

A misunderstanding of the Duckworth-Lewis requirement left the scores tied and eliminated the hosts from their own World Cup.

21. South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 2007 World Cup

Why we picked it: South Africa were cruising toward a target of 210 before Lasith Malinga did something almost unimaginable.

Four wickets in four consecutive deliveries suddenly transformed the chase.

South Africa survived by one wicket.

22. Sri Lanka vs England, 2007 World Cup

Why we picked it: England needed three from the final ball.

Dilhara Fernando bowled Ravi Bopara.

Sri Lanka won by two runs.

23. West Indies vs England, 2007 World Cup

Why we picked it: Brian Lara’s final international appearance became a 300-run chase that reached the final ball.

England escaped with a one-wicket victory in a match full of emotional and competitive tension.

24. India vs England, 2011 World Cup

Why we picked it: India scored 338.

England, powered by Andrew Strauss’ 158, reached exactly 338.

Two heavyweight batting performances produced one of the World Cup’s great ties.

25. England vs South Africa, 2011 World Cup

Why we picked it: England made only 171.

South Africa reached 124 for 3 and seemed to have the match under control.

They were eventually dismissed for 165.

England won by six runs.

26. England vs West Indies, 2011 World Cup

Why we picked it: England’s survival in the tournament depended on defending 243.

West Indies repeatedly threatened to finish the chase before England dragged themselves back into the contest and eventually won by 18 runs.

27. New Zealand vs South Africa, 2011 World Cup Quarterfinal

Why we picked it: South Africa were 108 for 2 chasing only 222.

Then came another extraordinary knockout collapse.

New Zealand won by 49 runs and reached the semifinals.

28. New Zealand vs Australia, 2015 World Cup

Why we picked it: Australia were dismissed for 151.

New Zealand should have cruised home.

Mitchell Starc took six wickets and reduced them to 146 for 9 before Kane Williamson finally ended the madness with a six.

29. New Zealand vs South Africa, 2015 World Cup Semifinal

Why we picked it: New Zealand needed five from two balls.

Grant Elliott launched Dale Steyn for six.

The shot sent New Zealand into their first World Cup final and created one of the tournament’s defining images.

30. Pakistan vs South Africa, 2015 World Cup

Why we picked it: Pakistan’s total appeared vulnerable against South Africa’s powerful batting lineup.

Their fast bowlers responded with aggression and discipline, turning the defense into one of Pakistan’s most important performances of the tournament.

31. Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, 2015 World Cup

Why we picked it: Pakistan entered under severe pressure and managed only 235.

Zimbabwe remained in the chase long enough to make another Pakistan defeat feel dangerously possible before the bowlers secured a 20-run victory.

32. New Zealand vs West Indies, 2019 World Cup

Why we picked it: West Indies were 164 for 7 chasing 292.

Carlos Brathwaite then made 101 and brought his side within one boundary of an extraordinary victory.

Trent Boult caught him on the boundary.

New Zealand won by five runs.

33. Pakistan vs Afghanistan, 2019 World Cup

Why we picked it: Pakistan’s World Cup hopes were hanging by a thread.

They needed 46 from the final five overs with four wickets remaining.

Imad Wasim held his nerve and Pakistan crossed the line with two balls to spare.

34. India vs Afghanistan, 2019 World Cup

Why we picked it: India managed only 224.

Afghanistan took the chase into the final over before Mohammed Shami completed a hat-trick and India escaped by 11 runs.

35. New Zealand vs South Africa, 2019 World Cup

Why we picked it: Kane Williamson’s unbeaten century guided New Zealand through a chase that remained uncertain until the final over.

It was classic ODI pressure built slowly over several hours.

36. Sri Lanka vs England, 2019 World Cup

Why we picked it: Sri Lanka defended just 232 against the tournament favorites.

Lasith Malinga took four wickets and transformed the World Cup standings with one of the tournament’s biggest surprises.

37. Australia vs West Indies, 2019 World Cup

Why we picked it: Australia were 38 for 4.

Nathan Coulter-Nile, batting at No. 8, responded with 92 and helped lift Australia to 288.

West Indies remained dangerous before Australia completed a remarkable recovery win.

38. New Zealand vs India, 2019 World Cup Semifinal

Why we picked it: India collapsed to 5 for 3.

Later, Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni revived a chase that had seemed completely dead.

New Zealand survived by 18 runs.

39. England vs New Zealand, 2019 World Cup Final

Why we picked it: Perhaps the strongest candidate for the most dramatic ODI ever played.

The match was tied.

The Super Over was tied.

England became world champions under the boundary-count rule.

ODI cricket has never produced another finish quite like it.

40. South Africa vs Pakistan, 2023 World Cup

Why we picked it: South Africa needed 21 runs with two wickets remaining and then lost another.

Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi survived Pakistan’s bowlers and completed a one-wicket escape.

41. Australia vs New Zealand, 2023 World Cup

Why we picked it: Australia scored 388.

New Zealand replied with 383.

After 771 runs, only five separated them.

42. Australia vs Afghanistan, 2023 World Cup

Why we picked it: Australia were 91 for 7 chasing 292.

Glenn Maxwell then produced an unbeaten 201 while struggling physically and barely able to run.

It stands among the most improbable ODI innings ever played.

43. Australia vs South Africa, 2023 World Cup Semifinal

Why we picked it: South Africa recovered from 24 for 4 to reach 212.

Australia then made a small chase look increasingly dangerous before Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins finished a tense three-wicket victory.

44. Afghanistan vs England, 2023 World Cup

Why we picked it: The 69-run margin was not close, but the result was historically significant.

Afghanistan defeated the defending champions and announced themselves as a serious ODI force.

45. Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2023 World Cup

Why we picked it: New Zealand made 401.

Pakistan reached 200 for 1 after only 25.3 overs before rain ended the match.

Fakhar Zaman’s unbeaten 126 transformed an apparently impossible chase into a genuine possibility.

Multi-Nation Tournament Thrillers: Episodes 46–70

46. India vs Pakistan, 1986 Austral-Asia Cup Final

Why we picked it: Four needed from the final ball.

Javed Miandad facing Chetan Sharma.

Six over midwicket.

The finish became part of cricket folklore.

47. India vs Pakistan, 1998 Independence Cup Final

Why we picked it: India chased 315 in Dhaka, an enormous target for the era.

Hrishikesh Kanitkar struck the winning boundary with one ball remaining.

48. India vs Australia, 1998 Coca-Cola Cup, Sharjah

Why we picked it: India lost the match, yet Sachin Tendulkar’s 143 during the famous desert storm ensured qualification for the final.

It remains one of cricket’s strangest examples of a defeat feeling like victory.

49. India vs Australia, 1998 Coca-Cola Cup Final

Why we picked it: Tendulkar returned two days later and made 134 as India defeated Australia.

The final completed one of the greatest two-match batting sequences ODI cricket has seen.

50. India vs New Zealand, 2000 ICC KnockOut Final

Why we picked it: New Zealand were 132 for 5 chasing 265.

Chris Cairns produced an unbeaten century and delivered New Zealand its first major ICC title.

51. England vs India, 2002 NatWest Series Final

Why we picked it: India were 146 for 5 chasing 326.

Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif rebuilt the innings before Kaif carried India home with three balls remaining.

52. England vs West Indies, 2004 Champions Trophy Final

Why we picked it: West Indies were 147 for 8 chasing 218.

Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw then produced an unbeaten ninth-wicket partnership and somehow won the trophy.

53. India vs Pakistan, 2004 Champions Trophy

Why we picked it: Pakistan’s chase of 201 became increasingly tense as wickets fell.

Mohammad Yousuf helped guide them through a three-wicket victory.

54. England vs Australia, 2005 NatWest Series Final

Why we picked it: Australia scored 196.

England scored 196.

A tied final between the Ashes rivals provided an extraordinary prelude to one of cricket’s most memorable summers.

55. Pakistan vs India, 2010 Asia Cup

Why we picked it: India chased 268 in a match filled with confrontation and pressure.

Harbhajan Singh finished it with a six in the final over.

56. Pakistan vs India, 2012 Asia Cup

Why we picked it: Pakistan scored 329.

Virat Kohli responded with 183, one of the defining innings of his ODI career.

57. India vs Sri Lanka, 2012 Commonwealth Bank Series, Adelaide

Why we picked it: Sri Lanka made 236 for 9.

India finished 236 for 9.

Another ODI ended without either side able to create the final inch of separation.

58. India vs Sri Lanka, 2012 Commonwealth Bank Series, Hobart

Why we picked it: India effectively needed to chase 321 in around 40 overs to keep their finals hopes alive.

They completed it in 36.4 overs.

Virat Kohli finished unbeaten on 133.

59. England vs India, 2013 Champions Trophy Final

Why we picked it: Rain reduced the final to 20 overs per side.

England needed 20 from 16 balls with six wickets in hand.

India still won by five runs.

60. New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 2013 Champions Trophy

Why we picked it: New Zealand needed only 139.

They staggered to 139 for 9.

What should have been routine became a one-wicket escape.

61. Pakistan vs India, 2014 Asia Cup

Why we picked it: Pakistan needed ten from four balls with one wicket left.

Shahid Afridi hit Ravichandran Ashwin for consecutive sixes.

Another India-Pakistan ODI entered folklore.

62. India vs Afghanistan, 2018 Asia Cup

Why we picked it: Afghanistan scored 252 for 8.

India were bowled out for exactly 252.

The tie became one of Afghanistan’s earliest signature performances against an elite ODI side.

63. Pakistan vs Afghanistan, 2018 Asia Cup

Why we picked it: Afghanistan pushed Pakistan deep into the final over before Shoaib Malik used all his experience to complete a three-wicket chase.

64. Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 2023 Asia Cup

Why we picked it: A rain-reduced virtual semifinal came down to eight from the final over.

Sri Lanka needed two from the final ball.

Charith Asalanka got them.

65. India vs South Africa, 1993 Hero Cup Semifinal

Why we picked it: South Africa required six from the final over.

India unexpectedly handed the ball to Sachin Tendulkar.

He conceded only three.

India won by two runs.

66. India vs Pakistan, 1985 Rothmans Four-Nations Cup

Why we picked it: India were dismissed for only 125.

Pakistan still failed to chase it and were bowled out for 87.

Few games better demonstrate how pressure can make a tiny target feel enormous.

67. Pakistan vs Australia, 1990 Austral-Asia Cup Final

Why we picked it: Pakistan defended 266 as Wasim Akram completed a hat-trick and sealed another famous Sharjah triumph.

68. Pakistan vs India, 1991 Wills Trophy Final

Why we picked it: Aaqib Javed produced 7 for 37, including a hat-trick.

The margin was substantial, but one bowler overwhelming Pakistan’s greatest rival in a final made the match unforgettable.

69. Australia vs India, 2008 Commonwealth Bank Series Final, Brisbane

Why we picked it: India defended 258 and beat Australia by nine runs to secure the finals series.

Australia remained close enough throughout the chase for India to feel the pressure until the end.

70. Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 2017 Champions Trophy

Why we picked it: Pakistan were 162 for 7 chasing 237 and appeared headed out of the tournament.

Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mohammad Amir then carried them home in an improbable three-wicket victory.

Bilateral Matches That Felt Bigger Than a Series: Episodes 71–100

71. South Africa vs Australia, Johannesburg, 2006

Why we picked it: Australia scored 434 for 4, then the highest ODI total ever.

South Africa chased 435 and won by one wicket with one ball remaining.

The match changed expectations about what was possible in ODI cricket.

72. New Zealand vs Australia, Christchurch, 2005

Why we picked it: Australia posted 331.

New Zealand survived a furious chase and won by two wickets, foreshadowing an era in which 300-plus targets would become increasingly vulnerable.

73. New Zealand vs Australia, Hamilton, 2007

Why we picked it: Australia made 346.

New Zealand reached 350 for 9 with three balls remaining.

Craig McMillan and Brendon McCullum helped produce another extraordinary one-wicket chase.

74. India vs Australia, Hyderabad, 2009

Why we picked it: Australia scored 350.

Sachin Tendulkar replied with 175.

India reached 347 before falling three runs short.

75. Australia vs Sri Lanka, Melbourne, 2010

Why we picked it: Sri Lanka were 107 for 8 chasing 240.

Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga added 132 for the ninth wicket.

Sri Lanka eventually won by one wicket.

76. Pakistan vs South Africa, Abu Dhabi, 2010

Why we picked it: Pakistan appeared beaten while chasing 287.

Abdul Razzaq then produced an extraordinary unbeaten 109 from 72 balls and finished a one-wicket victory.

77. Zimbabwe vs New Zealand, Bulawayo, 2011

Why we picked it: New Zealand scored 328 for 5.

Zimbabwe reached 329 for 9 with one ball remaining.

Malcolm Waller finished unbeaten on 99 in one of Zimbabwe’s greatest ODI chases.

78. West Indies vs India, Kingston, 2006

Why we picked it: India needed two from the final ball.

Dwayne Bravo produced a slower delivery that bowled Yuvraj Singh.

West Indies won by one run.

79. India vs West Indies, Visakhapatnam, 2018

Why we picked it: India made 321 for 6.

West Indies finished 321 for 7.

Shai Hope’s boundary from the final delivery created a tie.

80. England vs South Africa, Southampton, 2017

Why we picked it: South Africa needed seven from the final over chasing 331.

Mark Wood defended the target.

England won by two runs.

81. England vs Australia, Manchester, 2020, Third ODI

Why we picked it: Australia were 73 for 5 chasing 303.

Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey both made centuries and completed the chase with two balls remaining.

82. England vs Australia, Manchester, 2020, Second ODI

Why we picked it: Australia were 144 for 2 chasing 232.

England appeared finished.

A spectacular collapse followed, and England won by 24 runs.

83. South Africa vs Pakistan, Port Elizabeth, 2013

Why we picked it: Pakistan defended 262 and won by one run, completing a historic bilateral series victory in South Africa.

84. Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, Rawalpindi, 2020

Why we picked it: Zimbabwe made 278 for 6.

Pakistan matched 278.

Zimbabwe then won the Super Over, extending an already dramatic ODI into another contest entirely.

85. Zimbabwe vs Pakistan, Harare, 2015

Why we picked it: Zimbabwe kept a rain-affected chase alive long enough to secure a narrow DLS victory at home against Pakistan.

86. Australia vs Pakistan, Melbourne, 2024

Why we picked it: Pakistan were bowled out for 203 and then reduced Australia to 155 for 7.

Pat Cummins eventually guided the hosts to a nervous two-wicket victory.

87. Afghanistan vs Pakistan, Hambantota, 2023

Why we picked it: Afghanistan scored 300 for 5.

Pakistan needed 11 from the final over with only two wickets remaining.

They won by one wicket with one ball left.

88. England vs Pakistan, Southampton, 2019

Why we picked it: England scored 373.

Pakistan replied with 361.

After 734 runs, just 12 separated the teams.

89. England vs Pakistan, Nottingham, 2019

Why we picked it: Pakistan made 340.

England stumbled during the chase before Ben Stokes and the lower order completed a three-wicket win with three balls remaining.

90. England vs India, The Oval, 2007

Why we picked it: India chased 317 in a match that swung repeatedly.

Robin Uthappa’s late improvisation completed a two-wicket victory and kept the series alive.

91. India vs Australia, Mohali, 2019

Why we picked it: India scored 358.

Australia responded with what was then their highest successful ODI chase, powered by Peter Handscomb and Ashton Turner.

92. South Africa vs Australia, Durban, 2016

Why we picked it: Australia made 371.

South Africa were 265 for 6.

David Miller’s unbeaten 118 then drove them to victory with four balls remaining.

93. India vs Sri Lanka, Rajkot, 2009

Why we picked it: India scored 414 for 7.

Sri Lanka replied with 411 for 8.

After 825 runs, India won by three.

94. Sri Lanka vs West Indies, Pallekele, 2020

Why we picked it: Sri Lanka made 307.

West Indies reached 301 for 9.

Six runs separated the teams after another final-over contest.

95. West Indies vs Zimbabwe, Providence, 2010

Why we picked it: Zimbabwe defended 254 and won by two runs, producing one of their finest ODI victories in the Caribbean.

96. Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe, Hambantota, 2017

Why we picked it: Zimbabwe chased 204 in the deciding ODI and won by three wickets to secure a historic 3-2 series victory in Sri Lanka.

97. India vs Pakistan, Ahmedabad, 2005

Why we picked it: Pakistan needed three from the final ball.

Inzamam-ul-Haq found the boundary and completed a three-wicket victory.

98. India vs Pakistan, Karachi, 2004

Why we picked it: India posted 349 for 7.

Pakistan replied with 344 for 8.

The opening match of one of the most anticipated tours in cricket history was decided by five runs.

99. Australia vs Pakistan, Perth, 2010

Why we picked it: Pakistan pushed Australia deep into the final over before the hosts completed a two-wicket victory with four deliveries remaining.

100. India vs England, Pune, 2017

Why we picked it: England scored 350.

India collapsed to 63 for 4.

Virat Kohli and Kedar Jadhav then added 200 and turned a seemingly doomed chase into a three-wicket victory.

This Series Is About More Than Close Scores

Looking across these 100 matches reveals something important about ODI cricket.

The format has never relied on one type of drama.

Sometimes excitement comes from abundance.

Australia make 434, and South Africa chase 435.

India score 414 and almost watch Sri Lanka chase it.

New Zealand concede 388 at a World Cup and answer with 383.

Other times, scarcity creates the pressure.

India defend 183 in a World Cup final.

Zimbabwe score 134 against England and still win.

Australia set New Zealand a target that should be straightforward, only for Mitchell Starc to turn 152 into something resembling a mountain.

That range helps explain why ODI cricket has survived repeated predictions of decline.

The format gives a match enough time to change character.

A batter can begin cautiously, absorb pressure and accelerate later. A team can be seven wickets down and still construct a match-winning partnership. A bowler can disappear during the opening spell and return at the death to decide everything.

Twenty20 cricket compresses pressure.

Test cricket stretches it across days.

ODI cricket occupies the fascinating territory between them.

How ODI Cricket Changed on the Road to 5000

These articles will highlight how the format evolved statistically across 55 years, particularly through six-hitting, centuries, five-wicket hauls and the changing geography of the game.

Our list reveals that evolution in another way.

Many older classics revolved around totals below 250.

Modern thrillers increasingly involve 300, 350 and occasionally 400.

Batting expectations have expanded dramatically. Our recent look at six consecutive sixes and cricket’s rarest power-hitting feats shows how dramatically the boundaries of attacking cricket have shifted.

Bowling has changed with it.

Modern ODI bowlers operate in a world where 300 can sometimes feel ordinary. Fielding restrictions, equipment, surfaces, boundary dimensions and tactical thinking have all evolved.

That also changes how careers should be evaluated.

A batter’s strike rate from 1985 cannot simply be placed beside a modern figure without context. Economy rates require the same care.

Each episode of A Celebration of 5000 ODIs will therefore reconstruct its match within the conditions and expectations of its own era.

Why These Ten Teams?

This collection is curated rather than encyclopedic.

Australia, India, Pakistan, West Indies, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand account for an enormous share of ODI cricket’s major tournament history.

Zimbabwe bring one of the format’s great underdog traditions.

Afghanistan represent its newest compelling chapter.

Pakistan inevitably feature heavily because volatility has long been part of their ODI identity. Few sides have produced so many matches where victory and collapse seemed equally plausible within the same ten overs.

Australia bring tournament authority.

India bring enormous cultural weight.

West Indies connect the project directly to ODI cricket’s early history.

Sri Lanka repeatedly challenged tactical convention.

South Africa supplied extraordinary brilliance alongside some of the game’s most painful finishes.

New Zealand turned resourcefulness into an art.

England eventually reinvented their entire white-ball philosophy.

Zimbabwe repeatedly reminded stronger teams that reputation guarantees nothing.

Afghanistan are still writing their history, and their recent World Cup performances suggest several future episodes may eventually join this collection.

What Every Episode Will Explore

We have no interest in publishing 100 recycled scorecard summaries.

Every installment will ask a more important question:

Why does this match still matter?

Each episode will reconstruct the match situation, identify the moment where probability shifted, examine the central individual performances and analyze the decisions that shaped the result.

Where appropriate, episodes will include:

• Full match and tournament context
• Score progression
• Major turning points
• The decisive innings or bowling spell
• Captaincy and tactical decisions
• Final-over or final-wicket reconstruction
• Historical statistical context
• Where the major players were in their careers
• What the result changed for both teams
• Contemporary reaction
• How the match’s reputation has evolved with time

Some episodes will celebrate genius.

Others will examine panic, missed chances, tactical errors and collapses.

That variety is part of ODI cricket’s appeal.

Which Match Should Open the Series?

There are several compelling candidates.

The 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand may be impossible to beat for competitive absurdity.

The 1999 Australia-South Africa semifinal remains the definitive World Cup collapse under knockout pressure.

South Africa’s 435 chase against Australia in Johannesburg changed expectations about what could be achieved in 50 overs.

Javed Miandad’s last-ball six against India in Sharjah needs only one delivery to explain why generations still remember it.

Glenn Maxwell’s unbeaten 201 against Afghanistan represents a completely different form of drama, where physical survival and mathematical improbability collided.

Then there are matches whose scorecards become far more extraordinary once viewed through their era.

India defending 183 in 1983.

Zimbabwe defending 134 against England in 1992.

West Indies surviving from 203 for 9 against Pakistan in 1975.

That is why this project is called A Celebration of 5000 ODIs rather than simply a ranking of the 100 greatest matches.

Greatness can be argued forever.

Thrill is more personal.

Every match in this collection shares one quality: at some point, it gave spectators a reason to believe the result could still change after logic suggested otherwise.

The Next 100 Episodes Begin Here

Five thousand men’s ODIs represent more than five decades of experimentation, reinvention, power hitting, reverse swing, middle-overs chess, collapses, impossible chases and final-over panic.

The statistics explain how the format evolved.

Our series will concentrate on something statistics struggle to preserve:

what it felt like when the match turned.

Over the next 100 episodes, The Sports Encounter will return to these games one at a time.

Some will be instantly familiar.

Others deserve to be rediscovered.

Together, they will tell the story of why, after 5000 men’s One-Day Internationals, ODI cricket still owns a type of sporting drama entirely its own.

Welcome to A Celebration of 5000 ODIs.