Making an international century in any format is a great feat, as these events don’t come that regularly in a batter’s career. Hence, every ton a batter scores is as important to them as their first.
Scoring tons as they get older shows their penchant for scoring big runs for the team and also their longevity in the game. Similarly, in the current world of white-ball cricket, which is changing rapidly, a batter needs to adapt and play according to the demands of the game.
Here are some of the oldest players who have made an impact in ODI cricket by scoring a ton at the fag end of their careers.
Oldest Players to Score ODI Century
| Player | Age while Scoring ODI Century | Score | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khurram Khan (UAE) | 43y 162d | 132* | Afghanistan | ICCA Dubai | 30 Nov 2014 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | 39y 212d | 107 | India | Dambulla | 28 Jan 2009 |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 39y 159d | 162 | England | St George’s | 27 Feb 2019 |
| Ed Joyce (IRE) | 39y 111d | 116* | UAE | ICCA Dubai | 11 Jan 2018 |
| Geoff Boycott (ENG) | 39y 51d | 105 | Australia | Sydney | 11 Dec 1979 |
| Mohammad Nabi (AFG) | 39y 39d | 136 | Sri Lanka | Pallekele | 09 Feb 2024 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 38y 327d | 114 | Bangladesh | Mirpur | 13 Mar 2012 |
| David Hemp (BER) | 38y 149d | 102* | Kenya | Potchefstroom | 06 Apr 2009 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) | 38y 148d | 104 | Scotland | Hobart | 11 Mar 2015 |
| Sunil Gavaskar (IND) | 38y 113d | 103* | New Zealand | Nagpur | 31 Oct 1987 |
Key Insights
23 players have scored an ODI century post the age of 37 in ODI cricket, and the number extends to 67 if we take the cut-off player age to be 35 or above.
12: Tillakaratne Dilshan, who scored his last ODI century at the age of 38 and 148 days, has the most number of ODI centuries post turning 35, along with his former teammate Sanath Jayasuriya. Their ex-teammate Kumar Sangakkara has 11 tons after the age of 35, the last of which came at the age of 37 years and 135 days.
105 by Boycott and 103* by Sunil Gavaskar are the only ODI centuries scored by the batting legends in their careers. David Hemp and Khurram Khan are the other players on the list who have made a solitary ODI century.
114 by Sachin Tendulkar was his 100th century in international cricket, and it was his century number 49 in ODI cricket.
