Lighting Boult strikes: Trent reaches 200 ODI wickets milestone against Bangladesh

In Match 11 of the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, New Zealand pacer Trent Boult made history as he became the third-fastest bowler to reach 200 wickets in ODI cricket. This remarkable milestone was achieved during his side's third World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh in Chennai. Trent Boult reached this milestone during the 38th over of the game when he dismissed Bangladesh's batter, Towhid Hridoy. 

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In the sweltering conditions of Chennai, New Zealand, who had won the toss and elected to field Boult first dismissed Bangladesh batter Liton Das with the first ball of their match. He later masterfully executed a 'knuckleball' to deceive the middle-order batsman Hridoy to secure his landmark wicket. 

Trent Boult achieved his 200th wicket in his 107th ODI match, marking a significant accomplishment 11 years after his debut in the 50-over format for the Kiwis. Moreover, Boult's achievement surpasses the previous New Zealand record for the fastest 200 ODI wickets, which was held by Kyle Mills, accomplished in 135 matches in 2012.

Fastest to 200 ODI wickets:

1. Mitchell Starc - 102 matches

2. Saqlain Mushtaq - 104 matches

3. Trent Boult - 107 matches

4. Brett Lee - 112 matches

5. Alan Donad - 117 matches

Boult had a relatively quiet beginning to his World Cup journey, securing a single wicket against England and going wicketless in his 8-over spell against the Netherlands. Nevertheless, New Zealand emerged victorious in both matches, kickstarting their campaign in India on a positive note.

Boult had previously been a standout performer for New Zealand during the 2019 World Cup, where the BlackCaps came agonizingly close to clinching the title against England. In that tournament, Boult amassed an impressive tally of 17 wickets from 11 matches, frequently delivering crucial breakthroughs, particularly during the powerplay.

Despite not holding a central contract, Boult was included in the ODI World Cup 2023 squad. He had opted to step away from his central contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) in August 2022. This decision was primarily motivated by his desire to spend more quality time with his family and the increasing toll of international tours on his well-being.