Shubman Gill Created Unbreakable Record With 223

Shubman Gill produced a batting performance in Guwahati that could remain in the record books for a very long time.

The Indian captain smashed an unbeaten 223 against West Indies while chasing 406, taking India to an extraordinary eight-wicket victory in the second ODI. India reached 406/2 in 43.3 overs, completing the second-highest successful run chase in ODI history with 39 balls still remaining.

Gill broke several records during his double century, but one of them stands out because of how difficult it is to achieve.

His 223* is now the highest individual score while chasing in List A cricket history.

That means the record is not limited to international ODI cricket. List A cricket also includes recognized domestic one-day matches around the world.

And nobody had previously scored this many runs in a List A chase.

Gill Breaks Soumya Sarkar’s List A Record

The previous record belonged to Bangladesh’s Soumya Sarkar.

Playing for Abahani Limited in the Dhaka Premier League in April 2019, Soumya smashed an unbeaten 208 off 153 balls while chasing 318 against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.

At the time, 208* became the highest individual score ever recorded in a List A run chase.

More than seven years later, Gill has taken that record to another level.

Soumya Sarkar – 208*
Shubman Gill – 223*

And Gill did it at the highest level of one-day cricket, in an ODI, while India were chasing a target above 400.

That makes the achievement even more remarkable.

Gill Also Smashes the ODI Chase Record

Gill did not just break the overall List A record. He also comfortably surpassed the previous highest individual score in an ODI chase.

That record belonged to Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman, who scored 193 against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2021. Before Fakhar, Shane Watson’s unbeaten 185 against Bangladesh had held the record.

Gill has now pushed the ODI record all the way from 193 to 223*.

More importantly, unlike Fakhar’s 193, which came in a defeat, Gill’s innings finished with India completing the chase.

A Double Century Under the Pressure of a 406-Run Chase

This is what makes Gill’s innings so special.

A double century is rare in one-day cricket in any situation. But while batting first, a batter can build an innings without knowing exactly how many runs will ultimately be required.

A chase is different.

There is a target on the scoreboard throughout the innings. The required run rate keeps changing, wickets can immediately increase the pressure and one quiet period can change the equation.

Gill had an even bigger challenge because India were chasing 406.

Yet he didn’t simply reach 200. He reached his double century from just 117 balls, setting the record for the fastest double century in ODI history. Gill eventually finished unbeaten on 223 as India completed the chase with 39 balls to spare.

A Record That Could Survive for Years

Calling any cricket record permanently “unbreakable” is impossible because records are made to be challenged.

But Gill has certainly created one that will be extremely difficult to surpass.

For a batter to break it, he would need the right combination of a huge target, a batting-friendly pitch, enough deliveries to score more than 223, and the ability to survive the pressure of a run chase.

Before Gill, even the entire history of List A cricket had produced a highest chasing score of only 208*.

Gill has now raised that mark to 223*.

And he did it while captaining India in an international match and chasing more than 400.

Gill Continues to Rewrite ODI Records

The 223* also became the highest individual score by a captain in ODI history, while Gill became only the second batter after Rohit Sharma to score multiple ODI double centuries.

His 117-ball double century was another world record, surpassing the previous mark for the fastest ODI 200.

Gill had already scored 110 in the opening ODI against West Indies. He followed it with 223* in Guwahati when India were facing one of the biggest targets in ODI history.

There are many ways to measure a great one-day innings.

But scoring 223 not out while chasing 406, setting a new record across the entire history of List A cricket and taking your team over the line makes this one truly historic.