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 century against Australia at Centurion in 2003 during the World Cup is among the finest ever made in limited-overs cricket. In Test cricket, his 248* against Bangladesh and his twin hundreds at Sydney in 2004 stand out as technical masterpieces that showed the full range of what he could produce. 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 12 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 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. He completed his 85th Century against New Zealand on 18 January 2026. Also read Virat Kohli International Centuries

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

# 100s Player Mat Inns Runs HS Team
1 100 Sachin Tendulkar
1989-2013		 664 782 34,357 248* India
2 85 Virat Kohli
2008-2026
ODIs only		 559 626 28,215 254* India
3 71 Ricky Ponting
1995-2012		 560 668 27,483 257 Australia/ICC
4 63 Kumar Sangakkara
2000-2015		 594 666 28,016 319 Sri Lanka/Asia/ICC
5 62 Jacques Kallis
1995-2014		 519 617 25,534 224 South Africa/Africa/ICC
6 61 Joe Root
2012-2026
Can move up		 385 508 22,422 262 England
7 55 Hashim Amla
2004-2019		 349 437 18,672 311* South Africa/World XI
8 54 Mahela Jayawardene
1997-2015		 652 725 25,957 374 Sri Lanka/Asia
9 53 Brian Lara
1990-2007		 430 521 22,358 400* West Indies/ICC
10 50 Rohit Sharma
2007-2026
ODIs only		 510 543 20,173 264 India
11 49 Steve Smith
2010-2026
Can move up		 360 429 17,657 239 Australia
12 49 David Warner
2009-2024		 383 474 18,995 335* Australia
13 48 Kane Williamson
2010-2026		 378 452 19,346 251 New Zealand
14 48 Rahul Dravid
1996-2012		 509 605 24,208 270 India/Asia/ICC
15 47 AB de Villiers
2004-2018		 420 484 20,014 278* South Africa/Africa
16 42 Chris Gayle
1999-2021		 483 551 19,593 333 West Indies/ICC
17 42 Sanath Jayasuriya
1989-2011		 586 651 21,032 340 Sri Lanka/Asia
18 41 Younis Khan
2000-2017		 408 491 17,790 313 Pakistan
19 41 Shivnarine Chanderpaul
1994-2015		 454 553 20,988 203* West Indies
20 40 Matthew Hayden
1993-2009		 273 348 15,066 380 Australia/ICC
21 40 Ross Taylor
2006-2025		 454 513 18,244 290 New Zealand/Samoa
22 39 Mohammad Yousuf
1998-2010		 381 432 17,300 223 Pakistan/Asia
23 39 Tillakaratne Dilshan
1999-2016		 497 527 17,671 193 Sri Lanka
24 38 Alastair Cook
2006-2018		 257 387 15,737 294 England
25 38 Virender Sehwag
1999-2013		 374 443 17,253 319 India/Asia/ICC

Data updated till June 24, 2026.

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
Combined span in the table1989-20132008-2026
Career runs in the combined table34,35728,215
Highest score248*254*

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.

Article Guide

Squad Summary

Captain, returns, omissions and ODI dates.

Full Squad

Complete 15-player India ODI list.

Key Analysis

Kohli fitness, Bumrah return and Jaiswal debate.