New Delhi: West Indies opener Chris Gayle today became the first batsman to hit double century in the history of Cricket World Cup.
The 35-year-old cricketer scored 215 in just 147 balls in a Pool B match against Zimbabwe at Manuka Oval, Canberra.
The left-hand batsman smashed 16 sixes and 10 fours to reach the milestone.
Gayle's first six came during the 11th over when he had overcome a scratchy start, including a lucky reprieve on the first ball he faced when he was hit on the pads and survived a review for lbw from the third umpire.
His extraordinary 16 sixes is a record for an ODI equalled only by South Africa captain AB de Villiers and India's Rohit Sharma. Gayle's career-high 215 was a World Cup record — surpassing Gary Kirsten's 188 at the 1996 tournament — and his 372-run partnership — from 318 balls — with Marlon Samuels was a record in limited-overs internationals.
It was also the fifth double century in all ODI cricket and the first by a non-Indian. Rohit Sharma has hit two double centuries whereas Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag has hit one each.
