
The frequency of matches has steadily increased, in part due to the rise in the number of ODI-playing nations and in part because the cricket boards of those countries have been working since the Packer Revolution to maximize their revenue from the sport’s rising popularity. India played their 1,000th ODI match in February 2022, becoming the first team to do so. They were playing the West Indies at home in a series.
The Shortest Games Ever Played in ODI Cricket:
In the third edition of the five-match ODI series, Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe to win their 50th ODI match. With two games left to play, the Men in Green were able to win the series with a decisive 9-wicket victory. In the third game, after losing the toss, Pakistan easily defeated the hosts by dismissing Zimbabwe for just 67 runs. In response, Pakistan lost Imam-ul-Haq on the first pitch but easily reached the goal in 9.5 overs.
Thus, Pakistan recorded their biggest victory in ODI cricket—and the 10th-largest victory for any team—with 241 balls to spare while still pursuing the mark. The 100 overs that were intended to be played in the game were only played for 35. The duration of Zimbabwe’s innings was 25.1 overs, with the longest partnership being 7.1 overs for the 9th wicket. The 210 balls bowled in this game rank ninth lowest in an ODI match that was fully played (excluding reduced matches).
Zimbabwe was bowled out for only 38 runs in the 2001 one-day international in Colombo, which lasted just 120 balls (20 overs). With his 8/19 to dismiss Zimbabwe in just 15.4 overs, Chaminda Vaas established the best bowling figures in ODI cricket. With the loss of just one wicket, the home team manages to reach the 39-run target in just 4.2 overs. As of the beginning of 2014, this one-day international between Pakistan and Zimbabwe was also the shortest.
With the last one occurring in 2013, up to eight ODI matches could be finished in under 200 deliveries. The last instance of this occurred during the ODI between Australia and the Windies at the WACA Stadium in Perth, where the Caribbean team was completely destroyed by the home team’s pace attack. After only 23.5 overs of batting, the Windies were bowled out for 70 runs. The Australians wasted no time in chasing down the total in just 9.2 overs. Glenn Maxwell, the team’s de facto opener, led his team to victory with an unbeaten 35-ball 51.
Score | Balls | Team | Opponent | Venue | Date |
35 | 72 | United States | Nepal | Kirtipur | 12 February 2020 |
54 | 83 | Zimbabwe | Afghanistan | Harare | 26 February 2017 |
45 | 84 | Namibia | Australia | Potchefstroom | 27 February 2003 |
92 | 89 | Canada | Kenya | Nairobi (Jaff) | 5 February 2007 |
38 | 94 | Zimbabwe | Sri Lanka | Colombo | 8 Dec 2001 |
New records have been set in this area as well, though, thanks to some outstanding bowling efforts. For the bowling team, they are achievements to be proud of, but for the batting team, they are still nightmares. In this article, we discuss the five shortest ODI innings ever played.