ICC World Cup 2023: South Africa registers the highest score in the World Cup history

Just two days into the World Cup 2023, we witnessed a record getting broken as South Africa notched up the highest-ever team total in the tournament's history. The Proteas piled up a formidable 428/5 against Sri Lanka, rewriting the record books in a display of relentless power-hitting at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

While batting first, South Africa faced an early setback when their captain, Temba Bavuma, lost his wicket in the second over. However, Quinton de Kock (100) and van der Dussen (108) took charge, launching an aggressive assault on the Sri Lankan bowlers. They skillfully rotated the strike, wasting no opportunities to dispatch loose balls to the boundary. This dynamic partnership yielded a remarkable 204 runs for the second wicket before de Kock fell just after reaching a century.

Following de Kock's departure, van der Dussen partnered with Aiden Markram, adding another 50 runs. Van der Dussen also achieved a century milestone before his exit. Meanwhile, Markram (106) elevated the innings to unprecedented heights with his sensational performance. He raced to a century in just 49 balls, setting a new record for the fastest century in ODI World Cup history. In addition to these three centurions, Henrich Klassen (39) and David Miller's (32) brisk contributions ensured South Africa reached a sensational total of 428 runs in 50 overs.

With this feat, South Africa became the only team to have three 400+ scores in the ODI World Cup. It also happens to be the eighth 400+ score for South Africa in ODIs, the highest by any team.