Till now, be it men’s cricket or women’s cricket, all double-centurions in ODIs have batted as openers. However, the time is not far before we see a middle-order batter get this feat. Here, we take a look at the list of three middle-order batters who can score a double century in ODIs.
In the current T20 era, batters hardly allocate time to get used to the pitch. They look to get quick runs and if they succeed, scoring a 200 may not be a tough ask. We look at some batters who can make that possible:
1) Jos Buttler (England)
Jos Buttler happens to be one of the best middle-order batters in ODI cricket right now. We all know his skills as a T20 opener. But, with the bowlers tired and if he is in good touch, if Buttler gets the last 25 overs of an innings and could play a T20-style game, a double century could happen. In the past, we have seen the likes of AB de Villiers get centuries under 40 balls while batting in the middle-order. Buttler is perfectly capable of making that happen.
2) Rishabh Pant (India)
Rishabh Pant is one of the middle-order batters who can score a double century in ODIs. At the moment, he is out of action but Pant will have a spot reserved in the middle-order for Team India. As seen from his career, so far, Pant needs no invitation to take on the bowlers. He is deadly against spinners while he can also use his unorthodox ways to score runs against top pacers. Surely, if a few wickets fall early and Pant gets into the crease soon, he can make that day count.
3) Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa)
One of the biggest hitters right now is Klaasen. He is brutal against spin and his raw power also helps him against pacers. Yes, he might not have shown too much skills to play a long inning in ODIs so far but Klaasen has the attributes to break some records. If he gets going, as seen in recent months, it is hard to stop him. Hence, he can deliver that 200 from a middle-order position in his career.
