Playing a long innings is an attitude. Whatever the format, a batsman playing long to make a triple-digit score needs a balanced mix of temperament and skill. Batters who score runs in bulk in more than one format of cricket are always a valuable asset to the team and a treat for the fans.
Sachin Tendulkar, a primary example of this, has 100 international centuries to his name – 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs – one of the unbeatable records of the little master. Notably, he played only one T20I game for India.
This article will list the top ten batsmen who have scored the most number of individual centuries in all three formats of cricket combined.
Most Centuries Across All Formats
| BATTER | TOTAL CENTURIES | ODI 100s | TEST 100s | T20I 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 100 | 49 | 51 | 0 |
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 81 | 50 | 30 | 1 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 71 | 30 | 41 | 0 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | 63 | 25 | 38 | 0 |
| Jacques Kallis (SA) | 62 | 17 | 45 | 0 |
| Hashim Amla (SA) | 55 | 27 | 28 | 0 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 54 | 19 | 34 | 1 |
| Brian Lara (WI) | 53 | 19 | 34 | 0 |
| Joe Root (ENG) | 52 | 16 | 36 | 0 |
| David Warner (AUS) | 49 | 22 | 26 | 1 |
Key Stats
The modern-day legend Virat Kohli ranks next to the master batsman Sachin. He overtook Ricky Ponting’s 71 centuries mark when he scored his 44th ODI hundred against Bangladesh in Chattogram in late 2022. Find a detailed analysis of Virat’s ODI centuries list here.
Virat is the only current member on the above list. The other top batters of this generation – David Warner, Joe Root, Steve Smith, Rohit Sharma, and Kane Williamson (38) are on the verge of making this list.
However, considering the age of this generation’s top batters and their achievement so far, Babar Azam of Pakistan has the best possible chance to make greater heights in the above list. You should check Babar’s century distribution here to understand how capable the Pakistani star is among the current lot of youngsters.
Sachin, who has a century of centuries, has been dismissed thrice in 99s in ODI cricket – the highest in the format, followed by Sanath Jayasuriya, who has been dismissed at the score twice in ODIs. When it comes to a comprehensive list across all forms, three players Richie Richardson (WI), Geoff Boycott (ENG), and Misbah-ul-Haq (PAK) have been dismissed for the nervous ninety-nines three times, thereby adding to the top of the list with Sachin.
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