Most Double Centuries (200) in ODI
Scores of over 300 in limited over’s cricket aren’t considered an improbable target these days. The game has certainly evolved a lot in the last decade. The white-ball cricket is played with more of an attacking mindset rather than just saving the wicket and containing in the first half of the inning.
It has come to a point that an individual player has gone onto score double centuries in one-day cricket. What looked like an impossible task at one time has now turned into a reality. The limited over’s cricket has seen 6 batsmen notching respective double-centuries in the last one decade.
Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman ever in the history of ODI cricket to reach the feat against South Africa in 2010. Prior to that, Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar held the record for scoring the highest individual score in ODI cricket.
In this article, we look at 5 players with the most number of double-centuries in One-Day Cricket:
#5 Virender Sehwag (1 Double-Century)
After Sachin Tendulkar became the first to hit a double-century, Virender Sehwag became the second Indian to so. Against West Indies in 2011, Virender Sehwag scored a mammoth score of 219 runs off just 149 balls, including 25 fours and 7 sixes.
Batting first, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag laid a solid foundation, adding 176-run for the first wicket before Gambhir departed for a well-made 67. India posted a mammoth 418-run total in the first innings. West Indies, on the other hand, folded for 265 runs in the second innings and thereby handed India 153-run win.
#4 Chris Gayle (1 Double-Century)
The universe Boss sits four in the list of most number of double-centuries in ODI cricket. The southpaw has scored a lot of big scores in his international career but none better than the one notched against Zimbabwe in 2015. Batting first, Chris Gayle notched a mammoth 215-run total off just 147 balls, including 10 fours and 16 sixes. Marlon Samuels too played a brilliant knock of 133 runs as the duo recorded the highest ever partnership in ODI cricket.
#3 Fakhar Zaman (1 Double-Century)
Fakhar Zaman made a great start to his ODI cricket for Pakistan Cricket Team. Many pundits touted him as the next big thing in Pakistan Cricket. On 22nd July, Fakhar Zaman became the fastest batsman to score 1000 runs in ODI.
Two days prior to reaching the feat, he also became the first Pakistani batsman to score a double-century in ODIs. He recorded the feat while playing against Zimbabwe in the fourth ODI in 2018. Farhar Zaman played a brilliant knock of 210 runs off 156 balls, while Imam ul-Haq notched 113 runs off 122 balls as Pakistan notched 399 runs in the first against. Fakhar Zaman hit as many as 24 fours and 5 sixes during his stellar knock. Zimbabwe, in reply, got folded for just 155 runs.
Fakhar Zaman, in his illustrious career, has played 47 One-Day Internationals, scoring 1960 runs at an average of 45.58.
#2 Martin Guptill (1 Double-Century)
A match-winner for New Zealand and a fierce competitor, Martin Guptill too has a double-hundred to his name in ODI cricket. He sits in the second position in the list of most number of double centuries in ODI cricket. Martin Guptill wreaked havoc in the ICC 2015 World Cup and played an instrumental role in helping New Zealand reach the final of the tournament.
In the fourth quarter-final game against West Indies, Martin Guptill became the first New Zealand batsman to score a double-century in One-Day Internationals. Opening the batting for New Zealand, Guptill gave a ferocious start to his team even as the wickets kept falling at regular intervals at the other end.
Martin Guptill scored 237 runs off just 163 balls, including24 fours and 11 sixes. His double-century powered New Zealand to a massive 393-run total in the first innings. West Indies, in reply, could manage 250 runs in the second innings and thereby lost the game by 143 runs.
#1 Rohit Sharma (3 Double Centuries)
This shouldn’t surprise anyone. India’s limited over’s vice-captain, Rohit Sharma sits at the top of the pile with the most number of double-centuries in ODI cricket. In his illustrious ODI career, Rohit Sharma has hit three double-centuries in ODI cricket. He recorded his first double-century in the seventh ODI against Australia in 2013. Opening the batting, Rohit Sharma went on a leather hunt and smacked the bowlers to all parts of the ground. He amassed 209 runs off just 158 balls, including 12 fours and as many as 16 sixes.
He notched his second double-hundred against Sri Lanka in the fourth ODI in 2014 at Kolkata. Once again the team batting first and Rohit Sharma set a strong foundation with a brilliant knock. He ran out Virat Kohli during the inning but went onto score 264 runs off just 173 balls, including 33 fours and 9 sixes. This is also the highest individual ODI score ever made in ODI cricket.
The Hitman Sharma recorded his third double-century against Sri Lanka in 2017. Rohit stitched a brilliant 115-run partnership for the opening wicket before Shikhar Dhawan got out on 68. However, Sharma kept going at the same pace and went onto score 208 runs off 153 deliveries, a knock which had 13 fours and 12 sixes. Sri Lanka could muster only 251 runs in the second innings as India won that game by 141 runs.
