Shaheen Afridi’s Pakistan will take on Harry Brook-led England in the second game of ODI tri-series at Rawalpindi on Tuesday.
Updated: October 20, 2026, 12:47 PM IST
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Joe Root (left) and Sourav Ganguly(Photos: IANS, X)
Pakistan vs England 2026 ODI: England will open their campaign in the ODI tri-series match against hosts Pakistan at Rawalpindi on TuesdayPakistan began the tri-series with a 37-run win over Sri Lanka at the same venue on SundayThe game could be a historic one for England Test captain Joe Root, who needs only 97 runs to complete 8000 runs in ODI cricket.
If Root can achieve the feat in the next 16 innings in ODI cricket, he will break a huge record in 50-over cricket which currently belongs to former India captain Sourav GangulyThe former BCCI President has reached the landmark of 8000 ODI runs in 200 innings, making him currently the fourth-fastest batter to achieve this feat.
JOE ROOT IN YESTERDAY’S PRACTICE SESSIONhttps://t.co/t9WGHZzrZ2
— Rana Ahmad(@AhmadRana056) October 20, 2026
The fastest batter to score 8000 ODI runs is former India captain Virat Kohli, who achieved it in 175 innings followed by two South African batters – Hashim Amla and AB de VilliersWhile Amla took 176 innings to reach this landmark, De Villiers took 182 innings to achieve the feat.
Root, England’s highest ODI run-getter, has piled up 7,903 runs in 195 matches and 184 innings at an average of 50.66 and a strike rate of 87.68 with 20 centuries and 48 fifties, including best score of 166 not outEngland’s second and third-highest run-getters in ODIs are former World Cup winning skipper Eoin Morgan (6,957 runs in 225 matches with 13 centuries) and Jos Buttler (5,678 runs in 204 matches with 11 centuries).
This year, Root has been in golden touch in ODI cricket, having notched up 573 runs in nine innings at an average of 114.60 and a strike rate of 88.01 with a century and five fifties to his name, with best score of 111 not outThe England Test captain also enjoyed a great 2025 in ODIs with 808 runs in 15 ODIs and innings at an average of 57.71 and a strike rate of 95.50, with three centuries and four fifties.
Since England’s ICC ODI World Cup 2023 disaster, Root’s performance as an ODI batter has been incredible, having scored 1,381 runs across 24 matches at an average of 72.68, with four centuries and nine fifties.
The 35-year-old England batter has also scored 14278 runs in 169 Tests at an average of 50.45 with 41 centuries and 69 fiftiesMeanwhile, Ganguly retired with 11363 runs in 311 ODI matches at an average of 41.02 with 22 hundreds and 72 fifties.
Pakistan vs England 2026 ODI Squads
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Saad Baig(w), Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi(c), Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Ghazi Ghori, Sufyan Moqim, Razaullah
England: Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook(c), Jordan Cox(w), Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Adil Rashid, Mason Crane, Sam Curran, Josh Tongue, Henry Crocombe, James Coles.
