A double century in One Day International (ODI) cricket is unquestionably a tremendous accomplishment for a cricketer.Although achieving a double century in Test Cricket showcases the skill and elegance of a batsman, attaining such a feat in a limited overs match is considerably more challenging. In the realm of Test cricket, the batsman rarely concerns himself with the number of balls he has played, whereas in a one-day match, it is imperative for a batsman to pay close attention to this aspect.
No Double Century in ODI in First Four Decades
In the year 1963, the concept of limited overs cricket was introduced in the domestic cricket scene of England, primarily to sustain the commercial interest in the sport. But the first One Day International was contested eight years later.
Over the course of subsequent years, ODI cricket surpassed Test cricket in terms of popularity. The shorter format, quicker scoring rate, and reduced likelihood of a drawn result contributed to the reasons behind the increasing popularity of ODIs. This surge in popularity reached its zenith in 1975 when the inaugural ODI Cricket World Cup was organized.
Remarkably, not a single batsman from the period spanning 1971 to 2010 managed to score a double century in ODI cricket. Even renowned legends such as Viv Richards, Javed Miandad, Saeed Anwar, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Sourav Ganguly were unable to attain the magical figure of 200 with their exceptional batting skills.
Remarkable Failures from Scoring Double Hundred
From the inception of One Day International cricket, the attempts made by numerous batsmen to achieve a double century in vain. The esteemed West Indian batsman, Sir Vivian Richards, was unable to accomplish this feat on two separate occasions in the limited-overs format.
Let us now delve into some notable instances of such remarkable failures.
Glenn Turner in 1975
Glenn Turner was the first Batsman to achieve a score of 150 or more in the One Day International format. During the initial World Cup, Glenn showcased a remarkable performance against East Africa. His unbeaten 171 was widely regarded as the finest innings in the history of ODIs for the subsequent eight years. Turner emerged as the first Batsman to approach the milestone of a double century in the ODI format.
Kapil Dev in 1983
During the 1983 World Cup, Kapil Dev delivered a magnificent performance by scoring an unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe. This outstanding feat allowed Kapil to surpass Turner’s long-standing record of eight years. However, Kapil Dev’s record of the highest individual score in ODIs endured for merely one year.
Vivian Richards in 1984
The legendary Batsman from the West Indies, Vivian Richards, delivered a splendid knock of 189 against Sri Lanka in the subsequent year. Nonetheless, Sir Viv fell short of achieving a double century by a mere 11 runs.
Saeed Anwar & Charles Coventry
Between the years 1984 and 2010, only two players managed to surpass Sir Viv’s unbeaten score of 189. One of these players was Saeed Anwar, widely regarded as one of the greatest left-handed Batsmen in the history of Cricket. The other player was Charles Coventry, whose name may come as a surprise to readers.
Coventry, a Zimbabwean Batsman, only managed to score a single century in his career. In his unbeaten innings of 194 off 156 balls, he mercilessly humiliated the Bangladeshi bowlers..But Coventry couldn’t achieve the feat of scoring first Double Century in ODI.
. Saeed Anwar’s score of 194 served as another example of a legendary batsman’s disappointment, falling just six runs short from a double century in ODI.The Pakistani left-hander delivered the finest innings of his career against India, but unfortunately, he was unable to convert his century into a double century.
The First 200 Run in ODI:
Surprisingly, the initial batsman to achieve a Double Century in ODI was not widely recognized. In fact, none of the male cricketers were able to accomplish this seemingly impossible feat. Belinda Clark, a member of the Australian Women’s Cricket Team, achieved a double century against Denmark in 1997.
Her 229 was the first-ever double century in the history of ODI. It is quite astonishing that Clark did not hit a single six during her innings. She managed to score 229 runs in 155 balls, with the assistance of 22 fours.
Tendulkar Did the Impossible Task of Scoring a Double Century in ODI
Without a doubt, God possesses a superior power compared to humans. Despite the failures of numerous great cricketers, the God of Cricket managed to make an impossible task possible. The dream of a passionate cricket fan, to witness a great batsman scoring a double century, finally came true in the year 2010.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar became the first batsman in the history of ODI to achieve a double century. The master blaster accomplished this extraordinary feat against South Africa in the second ODI of the India South Africa series in 2010.
List of the Players Who Scored Double Centuries in ODI
Tendulkar Scored his only double century in odi on 2010. But eight batsmen in next 13 years achieved this feat.
But Amelia Kerr is the only batsman in Women’s Cricket who Scored a double century after Belinda Clark’s astonishing unbeaten 229 in 1997.
Let’s look at the list of double centuries in ODI.
Name | Team | Runs | Balls | Against | Year |
S.Tendulkar | India | 200* | 147 | South Africa | 2010 |
GJ Maxwell | Australia | 201* | 128 | Afghanistan | 2023 |
S Gill | India | 208 | 149 | New Zealand | 2023 |
R Sharma | India | 208* | 153 | Sri Lanka | 2017 |
R Sharma | India | 209 | 158 | Australia | 2013 |
I.Kishan | India | 210 | 169 | Bangladesh | 2022 |
F.Zaman | Pakistan | 210* | 156 | Zimbabwe | 2018 |
CH Gayle | WI | 215 | 147 | Zimbabwe | 2015 |
V Sehwag | India | 219 | 149 | WI | 2011 |
B Clark | Australia | 229* | 155 | Denmark | 1997 |
A Kerr | NZ | 232 | 145 | Ireland | 2018 |
M Guptill | NZ | 237* | 163 | WI | 2015 |
RG Sharma | India | 264 | 173 | SL | 2014 |
Sachin Tendulkar’s achievement of scoring a double century in ODI set a new standard for future generations. Records are always meant to be surpassed. It was evident that someone would eventually break Sachin’s record for the highest individual score in ODI. However, would anyone have expected a batsman to achieve three double centuries in ODI?
Rohit Sharma – Only Batsman to Score Double Centuries in ODI thrice.
Rohit Sharma, known as the Hitman of Indian Cricket, has established an incomparable record of achieving three double centuries in ODI. He still holds the record for the highest individual run in ODI, with his score of 264 against Sri Lanka.
. This remarkable achievement undoubtedly leaves cricket enthusiasts eagerly anticipating the possibility of witnessing a triple century in ODI in the future..
.