Matthew Breetzke continued his extraordinary start to ODI cricket by scoring 34 off 28 balls against Australia in the second ODI on Sunday, September 27, 2026, pushing his career tally to 856 runs from 15 innings at an average of 61.14. The knock included six boundaries and further extended his own world record for the most runs scored in the first 15 innings of an ODI career.
Breetzke had already broken the previous world record during the first ODI of this series against Australia at Kingsmead in Durban on September 24, 2026, when he struck 112 off 106 balls. That innings, which contained 14 fours and two sixes, took his tally to 822 runs from 14 innings, surpassing the 759 runs that Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq had accumulated across his first 14 ODI innings. His latest contribution in the second ODI has pushed that benchmark even further beyond reach.
How did Breetzke build his record-breaking tally so quickly?
Breetzke arrived at the first ODI against Australia having already accumulated 710 runs from 13 innings, placing him within striking distance of Imam-ul-Haq’s record. His century at Kingsmead on September 24, 2026, added 112 runs in a single outing to seal the record, and his 34-run contribution in the second ODI on September 27, 2026, extended the mark further.
Across his 14 innings in the format before the second ODI, Breetzke had scored two hundreds and six fifties, reflecting a level of consistency that underpins his high average. His ODI debut on February 10, 2025, against New Zealand set the tone immediately: he scored 150 on that occasion, the highest score ever recorded by any batter on ODI debut, surpassing the 148 posted by West Indian Desmond Haynes in 1978. Breetzke was 27 years old when he broke Imam-ul-Haq’s record during the first ODI, having been born on November 3, 1998.
What does Breetzke’s record mean in the context of ODI batting history?
The record Breetzke now holds measures the most runs scored by any batter across their first 15 ODI innings, a benchmark that captures both volume and consistency in the early phase of an international career. His tally of 856 runs at an average of 61.14 after just 15 innings places him well clear of the previous holder, Imam-ul-Haq, who had set the mark at 759 runs from 14 innings.
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Most runs in the first 15 ODI innings
856 – Matthew Breetzke (Avg: 61.14)
803 – Imam-ul-Haq (61.77)
789 – Janneman Malan (60.69)
786 – Kevin Pietersen (87.33)
769 – Aqib Ilyas (59.15)
