4 batsmen who can break Rohit Sharma's ODI record of 264
When India’s Rohit Sharma blasted 264 in an ODI against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens in 2014, he not only became the first-ever batsman to score two double centuries in 50-over cricket but also set the record for highest individual score in ODIs.
Although it looks like a daunting prospect for someone to be able to eclipse this phenomenal record, there are quite a few brilliant ODI batsmen in world cricket who may be able to pull it off. In fact, there has already been at least one instance of the Indian batsman’s record being threatened.
Let’s take a look at four batsmen other than Rohit Sharma who may be able to break the 264-run barrier:
#4 David Warner
It is difficult to imagine a more fearsome batsman than David Warner when in full flow. The best thing about the way Warner bats is that there is no change in his aggressive intent regardless of the format that he may be playing.
The diminutive Australian batsman’s ODI record may not be as prolific as his numbers in Test cricket. However, he still holds an average of over 45 and, more importantly, a strike over 95. Warner also has the tendency of scoring big hundreds, a primary example being his 178 in a 2015 World Cup group stage match against Afghanistan.
David Warner was expected to score at least a double century in that match as there were still 12 overs left in the game, but he threw his wicket away while trying to smash one out of the park.
Although the 200-run mark may be eluding Warner in ODI cricket so far, it may just be a matter of time before he gets there considering his prowess with the bat. The southpaw also has a chance of surpassing Rohit Sharma’s record 264 if he can stick around till the final stages of the innings.
#3 Quinton de Kock
South Africa’s Quinton de Kock is easily one of the most talented young batsmen in the cricketing world today. The left-handed batsman has not taken much time to settle down at the top level and has been particularly brilliant in the ODI format.
De Kock is just 27 at present, but has already amassed more than 5000 runs in 121 matches at a highly impressive average of 44.65.
Back in 2016, the prolific southpaw smashed his highest ODI score of 178 in a match against Australia. The innings came during a run chase of 295, and De Kock took just 113 balls to score his runs before being dismissed in the 34th over.
If Quinton de Kock can progress at that rate in a match where South Africa are batting first and then go on to bat for 50 overs, he may actually end up scoring 300, let alone cross Rohit Sharma’s score of 264.
#2 Martin Guptill
New Zealand’s Martin Guptill has emerged as one of the best limited-overs batsmen in the world today. The Kiwi opener has taken a special liking towards ODI cricket and has been exceptional in the format since he smashed a hundred on debut against West Indies in 2009.
Guptill is nearing the 7000-run mark in 50-over cricket and averages over 42 with 16 centuries to his name. There are two knocks, in particular, which define the 30-year old’s ODI career so far.
One of them was an unbeaten 189 against England during a bilateral series in 2013 which showed the cricketing world just how destructive the Blackcaps right-hander could be. The second one was his herculean 237 not out against West Indies in the 2015 World Cup, a record for the highest-ever individual score in the tournament.
Having fallen short of Rohit Sharma’s 264 by a margin of just 27 runs on one occasion, Martin Guptill surely qualifies as a contender for breaking this record in the future.
#1 Virat Kohli
Ever since he made his debut in 2008, Virat Kohli has wowed the world with his batting abilities. The 31-year-old is considered the best batsman in the world across formats right now, and is counted amongst the all-time greats of the game.
Kohli’s incredible statistics speak for themselves as he has a tally of nearly 12000 runs at an average close to 60 including a mind-boggling 43 centuries. The Delhi batsman has played numerous spectacular knocks in his career, his highest score being 183 in an ODI against Pakistan in 2012.
If there is one player from Rohit Sharma’s own team who can eclipse his record 264, it has to be Virat Kohli. After all, for a man who can score 4 centuries and nearly 1000 runs in a single IPL season, nothing can be termed as impossible.
However, Kohli would need to play a bulk of the overs in an innings in order to beat Rohit’s feat.