In the month we celebrate the nation’s independence, these innings remind us that the truest expression of freedom, on the cricket field
In this August of reflection and pride, we look beyond the tricolour flying high and revisit the moments when Indian sport mirrored the nation’s spirit—undaunted, inventive, and unyielding. Cricket, our great unifier, has gifted us many such instances, where the bat spoke louder than any speech.
Among the most thrilling are the lightning-fast double centuries in ODIs—innings that broke records, bent expectations, and announced to the world that India doesn’t just compete; it conquers with style.
At just 24, Ishan Kishan revolutionised ODI batting. In Chattogram, he tore through Bangladesh’s bowling with the confidence of a man unbound by convention. Opening the innings, Kishan reached his double century in a blazing 126 balls—the fastest in ODI history, not just for an Indian. His 210 came off 131 deliveries, peppered with 24 fours and 10 sixes, striking at over 160.
Credit: Men’s XP
It was a pure display of fearless cricket, setting up an enormous 227-run victory. That day, he didn’t just play for victory—he played like a man bearing the hopes and pride of a cricketing nation unafraid to dominate.
Few cricketers have embodied freedom at the crease like Virender Sehwag. In Indore, Sehwag's bat became a scythe, slicing through the West Indies' attack. He raced to his double hundred in just 140 balls, eventually scoring 219 off 149 deliveries with 25 boundaries and 7 sixes.
What made this innings iconic was not just the pace but the context—India was only months removed from winning the 2011 World Cup, and Sehwag's innings amplified the team’s swagger. It was a celebration of dominance, the kind of authority that turns a game into a one-man show.
In January 2023, Shubman Gill advanced the legacy of Indian ODI cricket into a new era in Hyderabad. Against a disciplined New Zealand team, Gill's timing and placement were only rivalled by his composure. He reached his 200 in 145 balls, finishing with 208 off 149, including 19 fours and 9 sixes.
Credit: Sportstar
The match concluded with a 12-run victory for India, but the key highlight was Gill's readiness to establish himself among the elite—proof that India’s cricketing future was in capable, confident hands.
When Sachin Tendulkar reached 200* against South Africa in Gwalior, he didn't just set a record—he redefined ODI batting. Becoming the first man in the history of the format to reach the landmark, Tendulkar brought up the double in 147 balls.
His innings, laden with 25 fours and 3 sixes, was a masterclass in pacing—accelerating without ever appearing rushed. The innings came against a quality South African bowling attack and concluded in a 153-run victory.
Rohit Sharma's artistry carries a dangerous edge—the ability to punish bowling attacks long after most batters would have settled for less. In 2014 at Eden Gardens, he produced perhaps the most jaw-dropping ODI innings ever: 264 runs, with 33 fours and 9 sixes, reaching his 200 in 151 balls.
Credit: Cricbuzz
Three years later in Mohali, he repeated the feat against the same opponents, again taking 151 balls to reach 200, finishing unbeaten on 208. Both times, his knocks resulted in massive wins—by 153 runs in 2014 and by 141 in 2017—cementing his status as ODI cricket’s ultimate accumulator of big scores.
