Sydney, Feb 24 - West Indies swashbuckling batsman Chris Gayle has become the first cricketer ever to score a double-ton in a World Cup after smacking a staggering 215 runs in their group stage tie against Zimbabwe at Canberra on Tuesday.

The left-hander's blistering double-ton featured 16 sixes and thereby has equaled the record of hitting maximum sixes in an ODI innings with AB de Villiers and Rohit Sharma.

The match also witnessed Gayle and Marlon Samuels (133) registering a record partnership for any wicket as they piled up a massive 372-run partnership for the second wicket.

Chasing a revised target of 363, Zimbabwe are currently at 40/2 in the eighth over. (ANI)