Harry Brook scores fastest ODI double century as Sri Lanka chase down 430 in Rawalpindi
Harry Brook scored 202 for England against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi during the tri-series in Pakistan, producing the fastest double century in one-day international history, a performance reported on 22 October 2026. Despite Brook's innings, Sri Lanka completed the second-highest run-chase in ODI history to beat England.
Just under a year earlier Brook had been left wondering if he would be sacked as England white-ball captain; the Rawalpindi innings was described as the culmination of a 12-month turnaround. The knock was framed in the report as underlining Brook's standing for England across formats and compared, in tone, to innings once played by AB de Villiers.
Brook's 202 was the first double hundred by an Englishman in an ODI, surpassing Ben Stokes' previous England best of 182 against New Zealand in 2023. He reached 200 in 114 balls, bettering the 117 deliveries taken by India's Shubman Gill against West Indies the previous month, and struck 21 fours and 10 sixes during the innings.
The result left Brook, who has previously said he prioritises match-winning contributions over individual achievements, dejected after his efforts counted for nothing; he is the first man to make a double ton in an ODI and end up on the losing side. The report quoted Brook on the defeat with the line: "That's life".
Format-by-format credentials detailed in the piece include Brook being ranked by the International Cricket Council as the best Test batter in the world and averaging 53.08 in Tests. No England player with a minimum of 20 innings since 1968 has a better average than Brook, the article stated, listing Joe Root, Alastair Cook, Geoffrey Boycott and Graham Gooch among those he stands above.
The feature set out Brook's white-ball numbers as well: a T20 international average of 36.21 at a strike-rate of 164.92, with the claim that no batter to have played at least 20 innings for a major nation averages more at a better strike-rate. It noted he has played 61 List A matches, 45 of them ODIs, and that after a slow start his one-day form has improved to an average just under 50 in his past 29 matches and almost 57 in 2026.
The article also examined captaincy, workload and development: Brook averages 31 runs more in ODIs as captain and his T20 average increases by 19 when he wears the armband. It reported he had played every England fixture since being rested for a T20 series in Ireland last September and, fitness permitting, would be the only man to play in every game this winter — five tours to four countries across three continents — having left home last week and not expecting to see his own bed until mid-January; he told reporters his time to rest is during the Indian Premier League, which he has turned down to focus on England. Ben Stokes revealed he had told Brook he should be averaging 60 or more in Test cricket, and Brook was quoted in August saying: "I have the ability to hit it everywhere, I just have to figure it out quicker in games." The piece also recorded comments that labelled Brook as having more talent than Kevin Pietersen and being "next level".
Match and selection issues raised in the report included England's fielding lapses and poor strokes in the opening tri-series match against Pakistan, and that in the Sri Lanka game bowling and fielding "fell apart" while defending 430. The account said dew made the ball slippery, the attack was weakened by the absence of the rested Jofra Archer and benched Adil Rashid, and Sam Curran conceded 103 from nine overs — the worst figures by an England bowler in an ODI — with Brook criticised for persisting with Curran and not using the full 10 overs of either Josh Tongue or Gus Atkinson.
England must now win their next two matches to reach the tri-series final, which the article said is scheduled for 31 October, exactly 12 months on from Brook's horror show in Wellington.