Rohit Sharma smashed the one-day international record score yesterday by bludgeoning Sri Lanka’s attack for 264 in Kolkata as India recorded a fourth successive win against the tourists.

The 27-year-old blitzed nine sixes and 33 fours from 173 deliveries as he raced past the previous best of 219 compatriot Virender Sehwag set against West Indies in 2011.

Incredibly it was Sharma’s second ODI double hundred, having scored 209 against Australia in Bangalore just over a year ago, and he became the first man to achieve the feat.

Sehwag and former team-mate Sachin Tendulkar are the only other players to reach 200 in one-day internationals.

Sharma’s progress to 50 was relatively pedestrian, taking 72 balls, but from that point he unleashed an array of shots which destroyed the tourists’ bowling attack.

The acceleration from 100 to 250 was phenomenal, taking just 66 deliveries, and although he was dropped a further two times, in the 46th and 47th overs, by then the game had gone well beyond the control of a demoralised Sri Lanka.

“Once I got to 50 I knew I had to make a century because it was a good batting wicket and we knew 350 was easily chaseable. That made me stay there as long as possible,” Sharma said.