Harry Brook walked off to a standing ovation. He had just scored 202. England had just posted 429. The ground buzzed with the kind of energy a match-shaping double century always creates. Sri Lanka needed 430. The match looked done. Cricket had other plans. One hundred and forty balls later, a six over long-off from Janith Liyanage completed one of the most extraordinary moments in the history of one-day cricket.
The Result That Rewrote the Record Books
Sri Lanka beat England by two wickets in the third match of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 22, 2026. England posted 429 for 5 from their 50 overs. Sri Lanka chased 430 for 8 in 49.5 overs. Sri Lanka won with one ball remaining.
This was the second-highest successful ODI run chase in history. The match produced two separate global records within the same 100 overs. Harry Brook broke the fastest ODI double century record in England’s innings. Sri Lanka broke the record for the second-highest successful ODI run chase in history during theirs.
Harry Brook’s 202: Fastest ODI Double Century in History
England lost both openers before the innings found its full momentum. Tom Banton scored 50 and Ben Duckett contributed 29 before Dunith Wellalage removed both. England were 85 for 2 in the 16th over.
Then Harry Brook took over. He came together with Joe Root and built a 159-run third-wicket partnership. Brook was unstoppable from the moment he arrived at the crease. He reached his double century off just 114 balls, breaking Shubman Gill’s record of 117 balls which had been set only three weeks earlier against West Indies in Guwahati.
Brook’s 202 was the first ODI double century by an English batter. It was also England’s highest individual score in ODI cricket. He became only the second non-opener to score an ODI double century in history, after Glenn Maxwell. His innings pushed England to 429 for 5, their highest ever ODI total.
England’s Individual Innings
Brook’s 202 off 114 balls was the headline. But the supporting cast delivered too. Root contributed significantly in the third-wicket partnership that changed the character of the innings after the early wickets. Phil Salt’s contribution before his dismissal established the platform. Liam Livingstone accelerated in the death overs as England pushed past 400.
The Rawalpindi surface played its part. Fast outfield. True bounce. Short boundaries on the square. The same pitch that had produced 302 for Pakistan three days earlier revealed itself as capable of something significantly larger when the right batter and the right conditions combined.
Sri Lanka Chase 430: The Comeback That Defied Logic
Sri Lanka needed 430. The previous highest successful ODI chase in history is South Africa’s 438 against Australia in 2006. Sri Lanka needed 430. Everyone assumed the match was over.
Kusal Mendis anchored the chase with his captain’s innings from the top of the order. His boundary-hitting during the middle overs kept the required rate within theoretical reach when it should have been climbing beyond any realistic possibility. The drinks break showed Sri Lanka still in the contest when the calculations should have made it impossible.
Dunith Wellalage was the batting hero in the final stages. He hit four runs off Will Jacks in the 49th over as Sri Lanka stood on the brink of completing the chase. Then Janith Liyanage arrived with Sri Lanka needing six from one ball. He only needed one. He tonked Olly Tongue over long-off for a maximum. Sri Lanka won by two wickets with one ball to spare.
As the commentary captured at the decisive moment: Liyanage the Lankan hero. He gets under a full ball and powers it over long-off as Sri Lanka nail the second-highest successful chase in ODI history.
The Historical Context: Where This Chase Sits
The two highest successful ODI run chases in cricket history now both happened in 2026 within three weeks of each other.
In October 2026, India chased 406 against West Indies in Guwahati with Shubman Gill scoring 223. That became the second-highest successful ODI chase in history at the time. Sri Lanka have now surpassed it by chasing 430 in Rawalpindi. Sri Lanka’s 430 is now the second-highest successful ODI chase in history, behind South Africa’s 438 against Australia at Wanderers in 2006.
The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium has now hosted two of the most significant individual batting performances in ODI history within three days. Brook’s 202 on October 22 came in the same tri-series match where Pakistan posted 302 against England on October 20. This ground has been the venue for some of the most extraordinary ODI batting of the entire decade.
Brook’s Record: What It Means After Gill’s Three-Week Reign
Shubman Gill scored 223 off 133 balls in Guwahati on September 30 chasing 406 against West Indies. His double century came off 117 balls. That was the fastest ODI double century in history. It lasted exactly three weeks.
Brook reached 200 off 114 balls. That is three balls faster than Gill’s record. Two players, three weeks apart, both breaking the fastest ODI double century record that had previously stood since 2015.
The pace at which ODI batting records are being broken across 2026 reflects how the format has evolved and how the generation of batters currently playing at the top level have transformed what is considered possible in 50-over cricket. Brook’s achievement and where he sits in the current conversation about the world’s most destructive ODI batters is explored in our piece on the top 10 active batsmen in the world.
What the Result Means for the Tri-Series Standings
This result has significant implications for the tri-series standings. Sri Lanka had lost their first two matches. They had zero points from the opening loss to Pakistan and the England match played before this. This win gives them two points and keeps their tri-series campaign alive.
England have now lost both their matches in the tournament. They lost by 87 runs to Pakistan on October 20. They lost by two wickets to Sri Lanka on October 22. With zero points from two games, England’s path to the final has become extremely difficult. Pakistan lead the tri-series with four points from two wins. The final on October 31 in Lahore could feature Pakistan against Sri Lanka if results continue in this pattern.
How this tri-series changes the preparation picture for all three teams heading into the 2027 World Cup is one of the most interesting subplots in world cricket right now, and the role franchise leagues have played in developing the batting talent producing these record-breaking performances across multiple nations is explored in our piece on the impact of franchise leagues on cricket.
Conclusion
Harry Brook scored 202 off 114 balls. England posted 429 for 5. Sri Lanka chased 430 for 8 in 49.5 overs. Liyanage hit the winning six off Tongue with one ball remaining. Sri Lanka won by two wickets. Brook broke Gill’s three-week-old record for the fastest ODI double century. Sri Lanka completed the second-highest successful ODI chase in cricket history. Two global records in one match. In Rawalpindi. In October 2026. Gill set his record in September. Brook broke it in October. Sri Lanka then made both irrelevant by chasing 430. The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is now the venue for cricket’s most extraordinary batting performances of the entire decade.
