Double Centuries in ODI Cricket: A Rare Achievement

Scoring a double century — 200 runs or more in a single innings — in any format of cricket is extraordinary. In ODIs, it requires the batter to combine consistently high scoring from the first ball to the last, maintaining a strike rate above 100 while never losing their wicket. Only a very small number of batters have managed this in the 50-over format.

Rohit Sharma: Three ODI Double Centuries

Rohit Sharma is the only batter in history to have scored three ODI double centuries. His highest score of 264 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens in 2014 is the ODI record. Rohit's second double century (208 not out vs Sri Lanka, 2017) and third (209 vs Australia, 2013) confirmed his mastery of the format. Batting at the top of the order for India against spin-heavy attacks on flat home pitches, Rohit was uniquely positioned to accumulate long innings.

Sachin Tendulkar and Martin Guptill

Sachin Tendulkar was the first batter to score a double century in ODIs — his 200 not out against South Africa in Gwalior in 2010 redefined what was thought possible. Martin Guptill's 237 not out for New Zealand against West Indies in the 2015 World Cup quarter-final is the second-highest ODI individual score.

Why Double Centuries Are Rare

An ODI double century requires approximately 160 deliveries faced out of roughly 300 total in the innings. The batter must occupy the crease for virtually the entire match while maintaining a strike rate sufficient to post a match-winning total. This demands that the rest of the batting order supports at the other end, and that bowling attacks cannot find a dismissal through poor balls alone.