The ICC have finally taken the right step forward to restore the balance between bat and ball in the game of cricket, by changing some of the rules that were highly in the favour of batsmen. These changes were much needed and they have been welcomed by all.
The ICC has decided to do away with the compulsory fielders in catching positions in the first 10 overs and the batting powerplay has been scrapped.
It has also been decided that five fielders will now be allowed outside the 30-yard circle for the last 10 overs. The rule had also taken part-timers out of the equation.
In the last 4 years or so, we have seen many long-standing ODI batting records getting shattered. The Cricket Lounge’s Vaibhav Sharma list the top five records made in that period which might be very difficult to break now with the change in ODI rules.
1) AB de Villiers’ Fastest ODI Hundred
For a long very period of time, Shahid Afridi held the record for the fastest hundred in ODI cricket. Afridi scored 100 off just 37 balls against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996. New Zealand’s Corey Anderson broke this record by reaching his hundred off just 36 balls in 2014 against West Indies. But, AB de Villiers literary blasted his way into the record books when he brought up the fastest ODI century against the West Indies taking just 31 balls to reach the milestone. This record looks unbeatable after the new amendments in the rules.
2) Chris Gayle’s Fastest Double-Hundred In ODIs
West Indies’ swashbuckling batsman Chris Gayle smashed his way into the record books with a devastating double century off 138 balls vs Zimbabwe the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Chris Gayle was dismissed off the last ball of the West Indies innings, finishing on 215 off 147 balls – the highest individual score in World Cups. His marathon knock included 10 fours and a record-levelling 16 sixes.
3) Most Runs Scored In The Last 10 Overs Of The Innings
South Africa’s score stood at a modest 245 after the 40th over against West Indies in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. But, thanks to the swashbuckling knock of AB de Villiers, the last 10 overs yielded an incredible 163 runs as they ended with a mammoth 408 for 5.
4) Most runs conceded by a bowler in 2 consecutive overs
West Indies’ Jason Holder conceded 64 runs in the the 48th and the 50th over of the match against South Africa in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Jason Hodler holds the record for the most runs conceded by any bowler off his two consecutive overs in ODIs.
5) Highest Score In ODIs
Rohit Sharma’s world-record knock of 264 off 173 balls scored in November 2015, will be tough to beat now with the change in ODI rules. With powerplay and so many fielders inside the circle, Rohit Sharma scored his last 100 runs off just 41 balls.
