Every cricketer wants to represent their country on the international stage at least once. After all, it’s the ultimate feat one wants to pull off.
But not every cricketer is good at playing over a longer period. Among the hundreds of players, a handful establish themselves as the mainstay of their team by delivering consistent performances.
This article lists the top 10 players with the most matches in international cricket (all formats combined).
Most Matches Played in International Cricket
| Player | Total Matches | Tests | ODIs | T20Is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 664 | 200 | 463 | 1 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 652 | 149 | 448 | 55 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | 594 | 134 | 404 | 56 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | 586 | 110 | 445 | 31 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 560 | 168 | 375 | 17 |
| MS Dhoni (IND) | 538 | 90 | 350 | 98 |
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 535 | 115 | 295 | 125 |
| Shahid Afridi (PAK) | 524 | 27 | 398 | 99 |
| Jacques Kallis (SA) | 519 | 166 | 328 | 25 |
| Rahul Dravid (IND) | 509 | 164 | 344 | 1 |
Key Insights
Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for playing the most matches in international cricket. The Indian cricketing icon featured in 664 international matches for India across formats. Moreover, Tendulkar has the most appearances in Tests (200) and ODIs (463).
Tendulkar has an astounding record for playing the most consecutive matches across formats. He didn’t miss a single game from April 25, 1990, to April 24, 1998, donning the Indian jersey in 239 consecutive games (58 Tests and 185 ODIs).
Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower (224) and New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum (208) are the other 2 cricketers to have played more than 200 international matches in a row.
Sachin Tendulkar has accumulated the most runs in all formats, with 34357 runs to his name. Furthermore, he has slammed the most centuries (100) and fifty-plus scores (264) across 3 formats.
Ross Taylor, Virat Kohli, David Warner, and Tim Southee are the only 4 players who have played 100 matches in each format.
Only 7 players have scored 15000+ runs and picked up 150+ wickets across formats. Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chris Gayle, Steve Waugh, Tillakaratne Dilshan, and Viv Richards have achieved the double of 15000 runs and 150 wickets.
MS Dhoni appeared in the most international games as a captain, having led India in 332 matches. Australia’s Ricky Ponting (332) and New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming (303) are the other 2 players with 300+ matches as skippers. (Check out MS Dhoni’s captaincy stats here.)
