Sri Lanka pulled off one of the greatest run chases in one-day international history, overhauling England's 429/4 with a remarkable 430/8 to register an extraordinary two-wicket victory in Rawalpindi on Thursday. The 430-run chase was the second-highest successful run chase in ODI cricket, behind South Africa's famous pursuit of 435 against Australia in Johannesburg in 2006.
The extraordinary contest produced records at both ends, with England captain Harry Brook smashing a historic 202 before Sri Lanka responded with a batting assault of their own. The match aggregate of 859 runs was the second-highest in ODI history, behind the 872-run Johannesburg classic between Australia and South Africa in 2006.
Sri Lanka's victory also marked only the third successful 400-plus chase in ODI cricket, following South Africa's 2006 triumph and India's pursuit of 406 against West Indies in Guwahati last month.
Highest successful chases in ODIs
The Rawalpindi run fest set a new benchmark for boundaries in an ODI, with the two sides smashing a combined 93 fours and 30 sixes. The 93 fours eclipsed the previous record of 87, set during the Australia-South Africa match in Johannesburg in 2006.
The teams accumulated 552 runs through boundaries, comprising 93 fours and 30 sixes, surpassing the previous record of 532 boundary runs — 64 fours and 46 sixes — in the West Indies-England ODI at St George's in 2019.
England struck 48 fours, equalling the joint second-highest tally by a team in an ODI, while Sri Lanka contributed 45. The match aggregate of 859 also became the highest in a List A game in Asia, going past the previous mark of 825.
Sri Lanka's 430/8 was their second-highest ODI total, behind the 443/9 they posted against the Netherlands in Amstelveen in 2006.
Highest match aggregate in an ODI
Brook became the first England batter to score an ODI double century, reaching the milestone in 114 balls before finishing with 202 off 116 deliveries. His innings was the highest individual score in an ODI defeat, surpassing Charles Coventry's unbeaten 194 for Zimbabwe against Bangladesh in 2009.
Brook's knock powered England to 429/4, with Joe Root scoring 69, Tom Banton making 50 and Will Jacks remaining unbeaten on 66. Brook's 202 also made him the first batter to score a double century in an ODI and finish on the losing side.
"It was a nice innings but being on the losing side it has no value whatsoever in my eyes," Brook said after the defeat.
Highest scores in a losing cause in ODIs
Sri Lanka's chase was built around Avishka Fernando's 97 and Pavan Rathnayake's 130 off 106 balls. Their 166-run third-wicket partnership revived the innings after Sri Lanka lost two early wickets. Rathnayake then added 133 runs with Dasun Shanaka, who smashed 97 off 50 balls.
Dunith Liyanage's unbeaten 61 off just 27 deliveries kept Sri Lanka in the contest after Shanaka's dismissal. Sri Lanka scored 170 runs in the final 15 overs, the highest total recorded in the last 15 overs of an ODI with available ball-by-ball data, eclipsing West Indies' 146 against England in North Sound in 2023.
Needing six runs from the final two balls, Janith Liyanage finished the contest in spectacular fashion by launching Josh Tongue over long-off for a six. The result handed England a second successive defeat in the Pakistan tri-series and gave Sri Lanka a victory to remember.
The extraordinary contest produced records at both ends, with England captain Harry Brook smashing a historic 202 before Sri Lanka responded with a batting assault of their own. The match aggregate of 859 runs was the second-highest in ODI history, behind the 872-run Johannesburg classic between Australia and South Africa in 2006.
Sri Lanka's victory also marked only the third successful 400-plus chase in ODI cricket, following South Africa's 2006 triumph and India's pursuit of 406 against West Indies in Guwahati last month.
Highest successful chases in ODIs
- 435 - SA vs Aus Joburg 2006
- 430 - SL vs Eng Rawalpindi 2026
- 406 - Ind vs WI Guwahati 2026
- 375 - Net vs WI Harare 2023 (Super Over win)
- 372 - SA vs Aus Durban 2016
93 fours, 552 boundary runs rewrite ODI record books
The Rawalpindi run fest set a new benchmark for boundaries in an ODI, with the two sides smashing a combined 93 fours and 30 sixes. The 93 fours eclipsed the previous record of 87, set during the Australia-South Africa match in Johannesburg in 2006.
The teams accumulated 552 runs through boundaries, comprising 93 fours and 30 sixes, surpassing the previous record of 532 boundary runs — 64 fours and 46 sixes — in the West Indies-England ODI at St George's in 2019.
England struck 48 fours, equalling the joint second-highest tally by a team in an ODI, while Sri Lanka contributed 45. The match aggregate of 859 also became the highest in a List A game in Asia, going past the previous mark of 825.
Sri Lanka's 430/8 was their second-highest ODI total, behind the 443/9 they posted against the Netherlands in Amstelveen in 2006.
Highest match aggregate in an ODI
- 872 - Aus (434) vs SA (438) Joburg 2006
- 859 - Eng (429) vs SL (430) Rawalpindi 2026
- 825 - Ind (414) vs SL (411) Rajkot 2009
- 811 - WI (405) vs Ind (406) Guwahati 2026
- 807 - Eng (419) vs WI (389) St George’s 2019
Brook's historic double century ends in defeat
Brook became the first England batter to score an ODI double century, reaching the milestone in 114 balls before finishing with 202 off 116 deliveries. His innings was the highest individual score in an ODI defeat, surpassing Charles Coventry's unbeaten 194 for Zimbabwe against Bangladesh in 2009.
Brook's knock powered England to 429/4, with Joe Root scoring 69, Tom Banton making 50 and Will Jacks remaining unbeaten on 66. Brook's 202 also made him the first batter to score a double century in an ODI and finish on the losing side.
"It was a nice innings but being on the losing side it has no value whatsoever in my eyes," Brook said after the defeat.
Highest scores in a losing cause in ODIs
- 202 - Harry Brook vs Eng Rawalpindi 2026
- 194* - Charles Coventry vs Ban Bulawayo 2009
- 193 - Fakhar Zaman vs SA Joburg 2021
- 191 - Goerge Munsey vs Net Dundee 2025
- 181* - Matthew Hayden vs NZ Hamilton 2007
Sri Lanka's late assault seals an unforgettable win
Sri Lanka's chase was built around Avishka Fernando's 97 and Pavan Rathnayake's 130 off 106 balls. Their 166-run third-wicket partnership revived the innings after Sri Lanka lost two early wickets. Rathnayake then added 133 runs with Dasun Shanaka, who smashed 97 off 50 balls.
Dunith Liyanage's unbeaten 61 off just 27 deliveries kept Sri Lanka in the contest after Shanaka's dismissal. Sri Lanka scored 170 runs in the final 15 overs, the highest total recorded in the last 15 overs of an ODI with available ball-by-ball data, eclipsing West Indies' 146 against England in North Sound in 2023.
Needing six runs from the final two balls, Janith Liyanage finished the contest in spectacular fashion by launching Josh Tongue over long-off for a six. The result handed England a second successive defeat in the Pakistan tri-series and gave Sri Lanka a victory to remember.