Skippers usually ask for the heavy roller after enduring 50 overs of absolute leather-hunting in humid conditions as a matter of routine, but Shubman Gill asked for it and clearly knew what was coming. What followed over the next three-and-a-half hours at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati was an absolute, unmitigated carnage of historical proportions.
His unbeaten 223 also surpassed Glenn Maxwell’s 201 not out against Afghanistan in 2023 to become the highest individual score in an ODI run-chase. Fittingly, Ruturaj Gaikwad provided calm support at the end with an unbeaten 31 off 37 balls and got the winning single to complete a legendary victory and spark wild celebrations in the Indian dressing room and across the stands. Brief scores: West Indies 405/7 in 50 overs (Amir Jangoo 114, Shai Hope 104, John Campbell 101; Kuldeep Yadav 2-65, Ravindra Jadeja 2-75) lost to India 406/2 in 43.3 overs (Shubman Gill 223 not out, Rohit Sharma 101; Shamar Joseph 1-52, Jayden Seales 1-78) by eight wickets
It was also Gill’s second career ODI double century, making him the only captain in cricket history to score double tons in both Tests and ODIs while leading the side.
Driven by a record-shattering unbeaten 223 off 133 balls by skipper Gill and a vintage 75-ball 101 from his opening partner Rohit Sharma, India pulled off their highest successful men’s ODI run-chase by hunting down a monumental 406-run target set by the West Indies to seal an eight-wicket win with 39 balls to spare. India motored to its fifty in seven overs before sprinting to 100 inside 12 overs. Rohit got to his half-century off 32 balls, while Gill was even more ruthless – after getting his fifty in 39 balls, he registered his hundred off just 62 deliveries. Gill reached his 150 off a staggering 89 balls before bringing up his double century off just 117 deliveries with a single off Lawes in the 39th over. In doing so, he broke Ishan Kishan’s record (126 balls) for the fastest ODI double-century in world cricket.
