Wisden's top ten men's ODI innings of the year 2024

Chasing 304, England were 11-2 when Brook, appointed captain for the series, arrived at the crease amid rain predictions. By the time the skies opened, England were well ahead. By then, Brook had become the youngest Englishman to hit a hundred in men’s ODIs.

The West Indies came into this game with 11 consecutive ODI defeats against Bangladesh. At 94-3 after 21.4 overs in pursuit of 295, a twelfth seemed inevitable. But Rutherford hunted down the target with his maiden ODI ton.

Having already won the three-match series, Pakistan had their eyes on a 3-0 sweep. For that, they needed a big total, and Ayub provided them that. The hundred turned out to be decisive in the 37-run win.

Over three years since he had last played an ODI, Lewis strode out against a target of 195 in 23 overs. Lewis ensured they neither lost wickets nor fell behind on the asking rate. The six that brought up both the hundred and the win rounded off an excellent comeback.

Gurbaz – who boasts of unreal numbers while batting first – led the charge in characteristic style, hitting 10 fours and three sixes. Despite losing some tempo as the ball got old, he kept it at just under a run a ball.

Up against a target of 322, the West Indies were 86-4 when Jangoo strode out. Few expected a debutant with a sub-70 List A strike rate to rise to the challenge, but Jangoo did.

Chasing 240 against Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ottneil Baartman, and Tabraiz Shamsi was not easy, especially after the tourists had slipped to 60-4. Ayub, scratchy to begin with, had made only 34 off the first 62 balls he had faced, but he did not throw it away, assuming control.

England needed 329 here, and 222 in 179 when Livingstone walked out at five. He took 52 balls to reach his fifty. By then, he had reduced the target to 92 from 55 – after which he stepped up a gear.

The only double hundred of the year was also Sri Lanka’s first ever in the format as well as the third-fastest double ton (136 balls) in men’s ODIs, making it a statistician’s delight.

Yup, it is that man Travis Head at the top again – and not against India, for a change. A target of 316 might have seemed steep when Australia were 30-1 in five overs, but Head just took the game away from England, meticulously bisecting fielders for fours and lofting the balls into the stands