CricPage Editorial

Most Centuries in International Cricket: Top 25 Players Across Tests, ODIs & T20Is

Of all the milestones that define batting excellence in cricket, the century remains the most celebrated. A hundred in international cricket means a batter has controlled conditions, pressure and world-class attacks long enough to leave a mark that lasts in the record book.

This updated CricPage guide covers the most centuries in international cricket across combined Tests, ODIs and T20Is, expanding the table to the top 25 players and adding context around current players, formats, longevity and record pressure.

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WA
Top 25 Table
Key Context
most centuries in international cricket

Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar during 2011 World Cup ©HT

100
All-time record
(Tendulkar)
85
Kohli
ODIs only
61
Root
can move up
50
Rohit
top-10 mark

Sachin Tendulkar: The 100-Century Mountain

No conversation about centuries in international cricket is complete without first establishing what Sachin Tendulkar achieved. He finished his career with exactly 100 international hundreds – 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs – a record so large that it spent several years looking like an impossible target to approach, let alone surpass. The 100th century arrived in March 2012 against Bangladesh, and what was remarkable was not just the number but the span: Tendulkar began scoring international centuries in 1990 and did not stop for 22 years. That level of sustained excellence across different formats, eras, conditions and opponents is the reason the record carries such weight.

His 241* at Sydney in 2004 and 248* against Bangladesh remain two of his most-discussed Test innings, showing the patience, control and range behind the record. His average across all formats, combined with his longevity and his ability to perform against the best attacks of every decade from the 1990s onwards, makes his record genuinely one of the great sporting achievements of the modern era.

Sachin Tendulkar 100 Centuries

We have listed Sachin Tendulkar’s every international century one by one. He completed his 100th Century against Bangladesh on 16 March 2012. Also read Sachin Tendulkar 100 centuries 100

Virat Kohli: The Only Active Challenger

Virat Kohli remains second on the all-time centuries list, but the chase has changed. He now plays ODIs only, having retired from Tests and recently made it clear that a return to Test cricket is not part of his plans. Fans may still want one last red-ball chapter, but the record race now depends on how many ODI opportunities India have left for him.

That makes Kohli’s listed 85 hundreds a different kind of landmark: close enough to make the 100-century debate emotional, but far enough away that fixture volume and format availability matter as much as form.

Virat Kohli International Centuries

We have listed Virat Kohli’s every international century one by one. His latest listed international century is included in the updated table below. Also read Virat Kohli International Centuries

Most Centuries in International Cricket: Top 25 All-Time (2026)

#100sPlayerTestsODIsT20IsTeamStatus
1100Sachin Tendulkar51490IndiaRetired
285Virat Kohli30541IndiaODIs only
371Ricky Ponting41300Australia/ICCRetired
463Kumar Sangakkara38250Sri Lanka/Asia/ICCRetired
562Jacques Kallis45170South Africa/Africa/ICCRetired
661Joe Root41200EnglandCan move up
755Hashim Amla28270South Africa/World XIRetired
854Mahela Jayawardene34191Sri Lanka/AsiaRetired
953Brian Lara34190West Indies/ICCRetired
1050Rohit Sharma12335IndiaODIs only
1149Steve Smith37120AustraliaCan move up
1249David Warner26221AustraliaRetired
1348Kane Williamson33150New ZealandRetired
1448Rahul Dravid36120India/Asia/ICCRetired
1547AB de Villiers22250South Africa/AfricaRetired
1642Chris Gayle15252West Indies/ICCRetired
1742Sanath Jayasuriya14280Sri Lanka/AsiaRetired
1841Younis Khan3470PakistanRetired
1941Shivnarine Chanderpaul30110West IndiesRetired
2040Matthew Hayden30100Australia/ICCRetired
2140Ross Taylor19210New ZealandRetired
2239Mohammad Yousuf24150Pakistan/AsiaRetired
2339Tillakaratne Dilshan16221Sri LankaRetired
2438Alastair Cook3350EnglandRetired
2538Virender Sehwag23150India/Asia/ICCRetired

Data checked in July 2026. Live records can change after new international matches.

Ponting, Sangakkara, Kallis and Root: The Next Tier

Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara and Jacques Kallis form the first great chasing tier behind Tendulkar and Kohli. Ponting’s 71 hundreds capture an era of Australian dominance, Sangakkara’s 63 reflect elegance across formats, and Kallis’ 62 carry extra weight because they came alongside a frontline bowling workload.

Joe Root’s rise gives the modern list a different texture: he is a red-ball giant whose volume keeps England represented near the top of the combined centuries table.

Current Movement Watch: Kohli, Root, Rohit and Smith

Kohli and Rohit Sharma now sit in the ODI-only phase of their international careers, so any movement from them depends on India’s one-day schedule. Root and Steve Smith are nowhere near Tendulkar’s 100, but they can still displace names immediately above them if they keep adding hundreds.

Kane Williamson is treated here as a retired name in the combined race rather than part of the moving group. That distinction matters because this list is not only about total hundreds; it is also about who still has realistic opportunities to change the order.

Most Centuries by Format: Why the Combined Record Needs Context

The combined table rewards different kinds of careers. Tendulkar, Ponting, Sangakkara, Kallis and Dravid built their numbers through long multi-format careers; Root’s position is driven mainly by Tests; Kohli and Rohit show how ODI and T20I acceleration changed modern century-making.

That is why a combined centuries list should be read with context: 40 hundreds in a lower-scoring Test era can be as significant as a larger modern white-ball total. The table is therefore followed by sections on era, format mix and active-player momentum.

Kohli vs Tendulkar: Century-by-Century Comparison

StatSachin TendulkarVirat Kohli
Total international centuries10085
Test centuries5130
ODI centuries4954
T20I centuries01

Kohli’s combined tally sits 15 behind Tendulkar’s 100. With Tests no longer part of his career, the practical question is simple: how many ODIs remain, and how many of those innings can still become hundreds?

How Era and Format Mix Shape the Century List

A combined centuries table is not a simple measure of batting quality; it is also a map of opportunity. Earlier players had fewer T20Is and fewer white-ball fixtures, while modern batters have had more chances to build hundreds across formats.

The best way to read this record is to combine the headline number with span, innings, runs and highest score. A player with fewer centuries but a longer Test burden can still sit beside a white-ball giant in historical value.

Current Movement Watch: Kohli, Root, Rohit and Smith

Kohli and Rohit are now ODI-only names in this race. Their totals can still move, but only through one-day cricket. Root and Smith are not realistic threats to Tendulkar, but both can still climb within the top group by displacing players immediately ahead of them.

Williamson is no longer treated as part of the moving group, so the live movement watch is really about format access: ODIs for Kohli and Rohit, Tests for Root and Smith.

FAQ: Most Centuries in International Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar holds the record with 100 international centuries across Tests and ODIs.

Virat Kohli is listed with 85 international centuries. He now plays ODIs only after retiring from Tests.

Kohli and Rohit can move through ODIs, while Root and Smith can still climb by passing players close to them in the table.

The table follows combined Test, ODI and T20I records, so it shows the overall international-century race rather than a single-format leaderboard.

Data updated till June 26, 2026.

The century counts are shown as clean numbers to make the table easier to read and to avoid placeholder-style formatting.

Sachin Tendulkar
Virat Kohli
Cricket Records

AB Ankit is Editor-in-chief of CricPage.

Article Guide

Most Centuries Record

Tendulkar, Kohli and the 100-century benchmark.

Virat Kohli Watch

85 centuries, now ODI-only.

Top 25 Table

Full combined table with 25 players.

Next Tier

Ponting, Sangakkara, Kallis and Root.

Movement Watch

Who can still change positions.

Format Context

Why Tests, ODIs and T20Is differ.

Kohli vs Sachin

The ODI-only chase in numbers.

Era Context

Why format mix matters.

ICC Rankings

Current team and player rankings.