ODI cricket was earlier known as the game of singles and doubles. However, ODI Cricket has witnessed a huge change in the mindset of batsmen in the last few decades.
This article explores the extraordinary batting performances where players dominated the field by hitting the most fours in an ODI innings, led by Rohit Sharma’s historic double century.
Most Fours in an ODI Innings
| Player | 4s | Runs (Balls) | Against | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma (IND) | 33 | 264 (173) | Sri Lanka | Eden Gardens | 2014 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 25 | 200* (147) | South Africa | Gwalior | 2010 |
| Virender Sehwag (IND) | 25 | 219 (149) | West Indies | Indore | 2011 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | 24 | 157 (104) | Netherlands | Amstelveen | 2006 |
| Martin Guptill (NZ) | 24 | 237* (163) | West Indies | Wellington | 2015 |
| David Warner (AUS) | 24 | 173 (136) | South Africa | Cape Town | 2016 |
| Fakhar Zaman (PAK) | 24 | 210* (156) | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 2018 |
| Ishan Kishan (IND) | 24 | 210 (131) | Bangladesh | Chattogram | 2022 |
| Calum Macleod (SCOT) | 23 | 157* (146) | Afghanistan | Bulawayo | 2018 |
| Saeed Anwar (PAK) | 22 | 194 (146) | India | Chennai | 1997 |
Key Insights on Leading Boundary Hitters in One Day Internationals
Record-Breaking Individual Performances with Respect to Four-Hitting
Rohit Sharma holds the world record for hitting the most 4s in an ODI innings, smashing 33 boundaries against Sri Lanka.
This feat was achieved during his monumental knock of 264 runs, which remains the highest individual score in ODI history.
Rohit Sharma is also distinguished as the only cricketer to have registered 3 double centuries in the ODI format.
The record-breaking innings by the “Hitman” lasted 173 balls, making it the longest 50-over innings in terms of deliveries faced.
Sanath Jayasuriya maintains the best ratio of hitting 4s per 100 balls within a single ODI innings.
Performance Trends Among Top Order Batsmen
Openers traditionally dominate the leaderboard for most boundaries because they benefit from the fielding restrictions in the powerplay and have the opportunity to bat through the full 50 overs.
The top three positions for most fours in an innings are exclusively occupied by Indian cricketers.
Calum Macleod and Virat Kohli are the only non-opening batsmen to appear on this prestigious list.
Virender Sehwag holds the highest strike rate among all the elite batsmen featured in this boundary-hitting record list.
David Warner’s knock of 173 is a special one as it involved no six throughout. It is also the highest ODI innings score by a batter without hitting a maximum.
Milestone Boundary-Hitting Achievements in ICC Tournaments
Martin Guptill is the only player to enter this elite list by hitting a massive number of fours during a World Cup match.
Guptill achieved this during the 2015 ODI World Cup Quarter-Final against the West Indies.
Among all batsmen on this list, Virat Kohli possesses the highest career batting average in the ODI format.
Sachin Tendulkar, who features prominently for his boundary-hitting, holds the record for the most total runs accumulated in the history of the format.
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