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Young Team India batter Ishan Kishan recently smashed a brilliant double hundred in the third and final ODI of the three-match series against Bangladesh on Saturday, December 10. Opening the batting in injured skipper Rohit Sharma’s absence in Chattogram, Kishan hammered 210 off just 131 balls, a splendid knock featuring 24 fours and 10 sixes.
With his memorable innings, he became only the fourth Indian batter to score a double ton in men’s ODIs. Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and Rohit Sharma achieved the feat before him.
Over the course of his knock, he also broke the record for the fastest double hundred in ODIs. Kishan reached the landmark in 126 balls, going past the earlier record held by West Indies legend Chris Gayle (138 balls).
The left-handed batter’s fine innings ended when he was dismissed by Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed in the 36th over. Following India’s thumping 227-run win in the match, Kishan stated that he could have scored 300 had he batted on for a few more overs. He definitely has the potential to achieve the same in the future.
In the wake of Kishan’s bold statement, we predict five players who have the potential to smash a triple hundred in ODIs.
#1 Jos Buttler - England
It is no secret that England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler is one of the most destructive hitters of the cricket ball. He has a strike rate of 119.04 in ODIs and an average of just under 40 after playing 159 matches in the format. When Buttler is in his zone, he is pretty much unstoppable with the willow in hand.
The 32-year-old has so far struck 10 hundreds in the 50-over format. His career-best ODI score of 162* came off 70 balls against the Netherlands in Amstelveen in June this year. Of course, Buttler has been batting in the middle order in the 50-over format recently. However, if he gets enough deliveries, he is still capable of smashing a 300.
On the other hand, there is a fair chance that he might move back to the top of the order. In such a scenario, the chances of him smashing a triple hundred in ODIs will only be that much greater.
#2 Virat Kohli - India
Team India legend Virat Kohli recently returned to form after a prolonged lean run with the bat. He has played some amazing knocks in the white-ball formats lately. He clobbered a T20I hundred in the Asia Cup against Afghanistan. After a brilliant T20 World Cup campaign, he also registered his first ODI hundred since August 2019 in the third game against Bangladesh recently.
What has stood out about Kohli’s recent performances is that he has modified his game according to the needs of the situation. He has played as an anchor when the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Kishan have been in supreme hitting form. If the need of the hour has been to go after the bowling, he has done that as well - the heroic knock in the T20 World Cup against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) instantly comes to mind.
Kohli has a highest score of 183 in ODIs, which was registered way back in 2012 against Pakistan in Mirpur. Batting at No. 3, the 34-year-old will get a fair chance to push for a 300 if he gets his eye in.
If the former skipper is in the mood and sets his sights on the target, there is no reason why he can’t break the triple hundred barrier in ODIs.
#3 Quinton de Kock - South Africa
South African opener Quinton de Kock is another genuine contender to score a 300 in ODIs. One of the most prolific ODI batters of the current generation, the 29-year-old has scored 5833 runs in 135 matches at an average of 45.57 and an impressive strike rate of 96.03.
De Kock has notched up 17 hundreds thus far in a terrific 50-over career with a best of 178 off 113 balls against Australia in Centurion in September 2016. On his day, he is one of the best in the business when it comes to batting in ODIs.
The aggressive left-handed batter has all the strokes in the book to score at a rapid pace. If he finds his rhythm and bats for the majority of the overs in an ODI match, there is every chance that he may end up scoring a triple hundred.
#4 Travis Head - Australia
Australia’s maverick left-handed batter Travis Head has had a terrific 2022. He has scored 512 runs in eight Tests at an average of 51.20. In ODIs, he has smashed 550 runs in nine games, averaging 68.75. Head registered his career-best 152 off 130 balls in the third ODI of the series against England in Melbourne in November.
With former captain Aaron Finch having retired from ODIs, Head has been moved to the top of the order in the 50-over format. The 28-year-old has a terrific record as an opener in ODIs. In 18 matches, he has smashed 923 runs at an average of 51.27 with three hundreds.
In his overall ODI career, which has seen him play 51 matches since making his debut in 2016, Head has scored 1823 runs at an average of 40.51 and a strike rate of 95.74.
With Finch having hung up his boots in the 50-over format, Head is likely to get a long rope at the top of the order. Given his swashbuckling form, he could come close to smashing a triple ton if he has an outstanding day.
#5 Paul Stirling - Ireland
Seasoned Ireland opener Paul Stirling is a dark horse on the list. The hard-hitting 32-year-old batter has the experience of playing 139 ODIs, scoring 5172 runs at an average of 38.88 and a strike rate of 86.82. He has cracked 13 tons in the format with a best of 177 against Canada in Toronto back in 2010.
One of the cleanest strikers of the ball, Stirling is a superstar among the smaller teams in international cricket, with all due credit to Ireland. While they don’t get to play much against big teams, the Irish side often take on the likes of the Netherlands, Scotland, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe in white-ball cricket.
Stirling has delivered some amazing performances against some of the aforementioned teams over the years. If he gets his eye in and keeps batting for around 45 overs, there is a decent chance of the Ireland opener cracking the 300-run code in ODIs.
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