Zimbabwe highest run chase in ODI: Zimbabwe have managed to seal a 300+ run-chase for the first time in the last five years.
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Only their second ODI victory in 2022, Zimbabwe will remember the recently concluded first ODI against Bangladesh for a long time primarily because of the remarkable manner in which they sealed a 304-run chase.
Having lost their third wicket right after the beginning of the second powerplay, Zimbabwe needed to score 242 runs at more than six runs per over to win the match.
It was at this point in time that batter Innocent Kaia (110) and all-rounder Sikandar Raza (135*) joined hands for a match-winning 172-ball 192-run fourth-wicket partnership – Zimbabwe’s second-highest fourth-wicket ODI partnership and joint 17th highest overall. Quite interestingly, both the batters completed their individual centuries in the 39th over .
Impressively constructed centuries by Innocent Kaia & Sikanda Raza👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. Fabulous partnership. #ZIMvsBAN.
— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) August 5, 2022
The pair hit a combined total of 19 fours and eight sixes to end up scoring a game-changing 245 (231) between them. Had it not been for Kaia and Raza’s heroics, Zimbabwe would’ve never been able to register their joint third-highest ODI run-chase. In what is their fourth 300+ run-chase in this format, this one has come after half-a-decade.
Zimbabwe highest run chase in ODI history (table updated after second ZIM vs BAN ODI)
| Target | Overs | Opposition | Ground | Year |
| 329 | 49.5 | New Zealand | Bulawayo | 2011 |
| 317 | 47.4 | Sri Lanka | Galle | 2017 |
| 304 | 48.2 | Bangladesh | Harare | 2022 |
| 304 | 49 | New Zealand | Harare | 2015 |
| 291 | 47.3 | Bangladesh | Harare | 2022 |
In what is Zimbabwe’s joint 17th-highest ODI innings total, it is their eighth-highest at home, seventh-highest against Bangladesh, sixth-highest while batting second, fourth-highest at the Harare Sports Club and highest in 2022.
As far as their highest innings total is concerned, it had come against Kenya in Mombasa 13 years ago. Former captain Prosper Utseya’s decision of batting first in the second of a five-match series had resulted in Zimbabwe touching the 350-run mark for the first time scoring 351/7 in their allotted quota of 50 overs.
