Ishan Kishan hits double century in 126 balls, breaks Chris Gayle’s record

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Ishan Kishan, replacing the injured Rohit Sharma, hit the fastest ODI double century in dead rubber against Bangladesh in Chattogram, hitting just 126 balls, shattering the previous record held by Chris Gayle, who had bagged 138 balls against Zimbabwe in the World Cup 2015 .

The 24-year-old Kishan also became the fourth ODI Indian with double centurion – after Rohit Sharma, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar – and the seventh batsman overall to achieve the feat, along with Gayle, Martin Guptill and Fakhar Zaman. Kishan added 290 for the second wicket with Virat Kohli making his 44th ODI hundred, and his first in the format since August 2019. Kishan-Kohli’s stand was India’s third highest partnership in ODIs and seventh highest ever in the format.

Kishan accelerated at an astonishing pace right after reaching an already vibrant first international century with 85 deliveries. He took just 18 more balls to reach his 150, reaching 200 in another 23. The wicket-keeper batsman scored 150 out of bounds alone, with 24 fours and 10 sixes around Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. It took an excellent running catch to dislodge Kishan on 210 for 131, by Bangladesh skipper Litton Das, who averted a collision with the advancing fielder on the edge of the straight boundary, keeping his eyes on the ball as he ran across from long ago.

The southpaw was the fourth opening partner India had used in the last four ODIs to Shikhar Dhawan, who failed for the fifth match in a row. But Kishan aired a slow delivery from the start to attack the Bangladesh bowlers all the way, after the hosts decided to field.

Unlike in Dhaka, there was green grass on the Chattogram surface, which meant that despite the general slowness of wickets in these parts, the slower wickets had no grip and the spinners couldn’t find a footing either. This allowed the batsmen to push the ball away even if they could not time it. The first is Kishan’s style anyway. The areas he focuses on are also very specific and he stuck to his strengths for nearly 36 overs. All his ten sixes were swung in the arc from wide long to long leg. His fours had a longer range; he would either hit the ball straight across the ground or through extra cover, or cut and sweep hard.

He successfully combated the inertia of the field by running down the lane or backing up and launching the ball across the infield repeatedly. The Bangladesh Zoomers tried many times for the short ball, but they barely managed to get it above waist level, and Kishan pulled them comfortably into the stands.

On the rare occasion Mustafizur Rahman got some lift on the slower bouncer, Kishan calmly rammed him over the wicket-keeper for four. The only real chance – and Shakib Al Hasan’s agility was needed to make it real – against Kishan was in the 20th left. Kishan, on 84, mistimed Mehidy Hasan Miraz to cow corner and Shakib grabbed the ball in his right hand as it sprawled across the turf, but dove into the outfield before firing it back in with the left.

India regularly lost wickets after Kishan’s departure, but they still posted 409 for 8, their fourth-highest ODI total.

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