Pathum Nissanka becomes first Sri Lankan to smash ODI double century; surpasses Tendulkar, Sehwag, Gayle for insane feat

Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka created history when he became the first batter from the country to reach the 200-run mark in ODIs. Nissanka scored the country's first-ever double century in the format during the first ODI of the series against Afghanistan in Pallekele.

The opener remained unbeaten on 210 off just 139 balls, smashing 20 fours and eight sixes in a magnificent knock, steering Sri Lanka to a mammoth score of 381/3. Nissanka's 210* is the fifth-highest individual score in ODI history, and he is the fifth batter to have carried the bat after scoring a double century.

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Justifiably, Nissanka also registered the highest individual score for Sri Lanka in ODIs, surpassing former opener Sanath Jayasuriya, whose 189 against India stood as a record for over 23 years.

In fact, Jayasuriya also took to social media platform X to congratulate Nissanka. “Congratulations to Pathum on a masterclass in batting. I am so so privileged to witness it in person pure bliss,” wrote the former Sri Lanka captain.

Nissanka made a comeback after an illness that kept him out of the one-off Test against Afghanistan but showcased an incredible display of power-hitting in Pallekele, smashing Jayasuriya's record in front of the legendary former batter himself. Here's the list of the highest scores from Sri Lankans in ODIs:

• Pathum Nissanka - 210* vs Afghanistan, 2024
• Sanath Jayasuriya - 189 vs India, 200
• Upul Tharanga - 174* vs India, 2013
• Kumar Sangakkara - 169 vs South Africa, 2013
• Tillakaratne Dilshan - 161* vs Bangladesh, 2015

Overall, Rohit Sharma's 264 continues to remain the highest individual score in the fifty-over format; the innings had come against Sri Lanka in 2014 at the Eden Gardens.

Nissanka's knock, however, is now the third-fastest double-ton in ODI history. He reached the mark in just 136 balls, going past the likes of Chris Gayle (138 balls), Virender Sehwag (140 balls), and Sachin Tendulkar (140 balls) among former cricketers.

Here's the updated list of highest scorers in ODIs after Nissanka's double ton:

• Rohit Sharma - 264 vs Sri Lanka, 2014
• Martin Guptill - 237* vs West Indies, 2015
• Virender Sehwag - 219 vs West Indies, 2011
• Chris Gayle - 215 vs Zimbabwe, 2015
• Fakhar Zaman - 210* vs Zimbabwe, 2018
• Pathum Nissanka - 210* vs Afghanistan, 2024

In the first ODI in Palleke, Nissanka forged a 182-run stand alongside fellow opener Avishka Fernando (88) and contributed to a majority of run-scoring following his wicket; captain Kusal Mendis (15), Sadeera Samarawickrama (45) and Charitha Asalanka (7*) were the other batters in the innings.