Even before the boom of T20I matches, there was a craze for ODI matches in the late 90s and early 2000s. That is one of the reasons India has played the most ODI matches in cricket history.
But somehow, passion for the ODIs has nosedived in the last decade or so due to more T20I games and, of course, franchise cricket.
There was a time when fans used to watch 7-match ODI series; now all we get is a maximum of 3 ODIs per series. But the cricket world has witnessed more than 4,600 ODI matches till now.
In this article, I will list the most ODI matches played by the top 10 teams.
Most ODI Matches Played by a Team
| Team | Matches | Span |
|---|---|---|
| India | 1058 | 1974-2024 |
| Australia | 1000 | 1971-2024 |
| Pakistan | 970 | 1973-2023 |
| Sri Lanka | 921 | 1975-2024 |
| West Indies | 873 | 1973-2024 |
| New Zealand | 824 | 1973-2023 |
| England | 797 | 1971-2023 |
| South Africa | 672 | 1991-2023 |
| Zimbabwe | 572 | 1983-2024 |
| Bangladesh | 438 | 1986-2024 |
Key insights from the above stat
1: England and Australia played the first-ever ODI match in cricket history. The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) hosted the game on January 5, 1971.
2: So far, India and Australia have played 1000+ ODI matches. India played their first ODI match against England on July 13, 1974, at Headingley. And India’s 1000th ODI game was against the West Indies on February 6, 2022, at Narendra Modi Stadium — World’s biggest cricket stadium.
Meanwhile, Australia’s 1000th ODI also came against the West Indies on February 6, 2024, in Canberra and they made it memorable. The Aussies skittled the Windies for 86 runs (24.1 overs) and chased the target in 6.5 overs with 8 wickets in hand, making it one of the shortest ODIs by balls bowled (186 balls).
900: Pakistan and Sri Lanka have played over 900 ODI matches, with the West Indies inching closer to the 900-game mark. In September 2023, Sri Lanka entered the 900 ODI club.
6: The West Indies, India, Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and England have won the prestigious ICC Cricket World Cup at least once since its inception in 1975.
100: Ireland, Kenya, Scotland, Afghanistan, the Netherlands, and the UAE have played more than 100 ODI matches. Ireland is close to reaching the milestone of 200 ODI matches.
2014: And talking about Kenya, they played their last ODI match in 2014 as they failed to qualify for the 2015 ICC ODI World Cup. This resulted in Kenya losing their ODI status.
With cricket evolving at a faster pace, it will be interesting to see how long the ODI format can co-exist with the Test and T20I formats.
