MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: Twitter)
In international cricket, if a player appears in 500 or more matches, it’s the corroboration of the fact that he is something extraordinary. It requires sheer diligence and skills to remain active in the sport for such a long period and make the number of appearances in the international circuit. There are only 10 cricketers who have reached this sensational milestone and all these players are considered the legends of this incredible sport.
Among 10 cricketers, eight are from Asia while one is from Australia, and the other served South Africa. Talking about the Indian players on the chart, there are four names while Sri Lanka have three former stalwarts. One more player is a Pakistan great who won a lot of games for the 1992 World Cup and 2009 T20 World T20 champions in all three formats.
Top 10 Cricketers who have played 500 or more international matches
10. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: Twitter)
India are currently in the Caribbean islands playing against the Windies team. Virat Kohli is the latest entrant on the list of players with 500 or more international matches with his outing against the West Indies in the second Test at Queen’s Park Oval. In 2008, the legend broke into One-Day International (ODI) cricket during India’s tour of Sri Lanka after winning the Under-19 World Cup for India.
In Tests, he got a chance to make his debut in 2011 in the West Indies. Currently, he is the fifth-highest run-scorer for India in ODIs with 12898 runs in 265 innings of 274 matches at a strike rate of 93.62. While in Tests, he has amassed 8642 runs in 187 innings of 111 games at an average of 49.39.
Talking about his T20 International (T20I) numbers, the veteran has scored 4008 runs in 107 innings of 115 games at a strike rate of 137.96. With these numbers, he is the highest run-getter in the shortest format of the sport.
9. Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid. (Photo Source: AP)
Rahul Dravid got the title of Mr. Dependable for his excellent batting talent. In his vast 16-year career, the right-handed batter played a lot of match-winning innings for India. The legendary batter kicked off his international career in 1996 and went on to play in 509 international games.
In Tests, he is the fourth-leading run-getter with 13288 runs in 286 innings of 164 matches with an average of 52.32. He retired from ODI cricket in 2011, scoring 10889 runs in 344 games at a strike rate of 71.23. Before hanging up his boots from white-ball cricket in 2011, he also played his first and last T20I match for India against England at Old Trafford in 2011.
Playing the only T20I game, he scored 31 off 21 with three maximums in a losing cause. The former India stalwart is the third-leading run-scorer for India across all formats with 24064 runs in 599 innings of 504 matches.
8. Jacques Kallis
Jacques Kallis. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis is the fifth-most successful batter in international cricket across all formats, notching up 25534 runs in 617 innings of 519 matches. In December 1995, he made his debut for South Africa against England in the Durban Test. After a few days of his Test debut, he broke into ODI cricket against England at Newlands in January 1996.
In 2013, he played his last international Test match against India in Durban and ended up becoming the third-highest run-getter in the longest form of the sport with 13289 runs in 280 innings of 166 Tests at an average of 55.37. With the ball, he is the sixth-highest wicket-taker for the Proteas with 291 wickets in 270 innings.
Kallis is the highest run-getter for South Africa in ODIs as well. The former Protea stalwart scored 11550 runs in 323 matches with 17 tons and 86 fifties. In the bowling department, he holds the third position on the list of leading wicket-takers for his country with 269 scalps at an economy of 4.83. In T20Is, he racked up 666 runs and 12 wickets in 25 games.
7. Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi’s 109 vs Sri Lanka – 2010. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Shahid Afridi played international cricket from 1996 to 2015 and in these 19 years, he registered some amazing achievements to his name in 524 international games. In ODIs, he ended up his career as the fourth-leading run-scorer for Pakistan with 8027 runs in 393 matches at a phenomenal strike rate of 116.94. In 1996, he also scored the fastest hundred of his ODI career in just 37 deliveries against Sri Lanka in Nairobi.
As a bowler, he is the third-highest wicket-taker for Pakistan in ODIs, with 393 wickets at an economy of 4.62. He played 27 Tests for Pakistan, in which he scored 1716 runs with his bat in 48 innings. In 2010, he announced his retirement from red-ball cricket, following the Test against Australia at Lord’s.
In T20Is, Afridi played for Pakistan efficiently from 2006 to 2018. In the shortest form of the sport, he scored 1416 runs and took 98 wickets in 99 T20Is. In Pakistan’s title win in the 2009 T20 World Cup, he became the third-leading wicket-taker in the tournament, scalping 11 wickets in seven matches.
6. MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
MS Dhoni is one of the few India cricketers who has played more than 500 matches in international cricket. During his stint from 2004 to 2019 in international cricket, the dashing wicketkeeper batter played 538 matches. In ODIs, he is in the fifth position on the list of scoring the most runs for the Men in Blue.
Playing 347 ODIs for India, he chalked up 10599 runs with nine tons and 73 half-centuries. Along with the batter, he was also an amazing wicketkeeper. With 444 dismissals in 350 matches, he is the third-most successful wicketkeeper in ODIs, following Australia’s Adam Gilchrist and Sri Lanka’s Kumara Sangakkara.
In India whites, Dhoni scored 4876 runs in 144 innings of 90 Tests, with six centuries and 33 half-centuries. He became the skipper of the Indian team in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and under his leadership, the Men in Blue clinched the coveted trophy.
Talking about his performance in T20Is, he represented India in 98 matches, in which he accumulated 1617 runs in 85 innings at a strike rate of 126.13. As a skipper, Dhoni won the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy for India. With these three titles, he is the only captain to win all three major ICC trophies in white-ball cricket.
5. Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting. (Photo Source: Twitter)
From 1995-2012, Ricky Ponting served Australia and during his playing days, his presence on the field was enough to instill fear in opponents. He appeared in 560 international matches and ended up as the third-best batter in the sport, chalking up 27483 runs with 71 tons.
In Tests, his record is incredible as he is the second-leading run-getter with 13378 runs in 287 innings of 168 Tests. These numbers also make him the most successful batter for Australia in cricket’s longest format. The former Aussies skipper also hit 41 tons in his glorious Test career, which is the third-most in red-ball cricket.
Along with Tests, he also holds the record of scoring most runs for the Aussies in ODIs. The star Australia player piled up 13589 runs in 374 games at a strike rate of 80.19. From 2002-2011, he captained Australia in ODIs, and displaying his phenomenal leadership talent, he won a couple of ICC World Cup trophies (2003 and 2007 editions) and Champions Trophy titles (2006 and 2009 installments).
Following Steve Waigh’s retirement in 2004, Ponting also took the reins of Australia’s Test side. Under his captaincy, Australia won 48 matches in 77 Tests from 2004-2010, with a victory percentage of 75.00.
4. Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Jayasuriya’s 130 vs India- 2008. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya’s contribution to world cricket is unforgettable as the former fearless cricketer is one of those legends who raised the standard of the sport with his extraordinary cricketing career. The left-handed batter began his international career with the ODI debut in the Benson & Hedges World Series in 1989.
He announced his retirement from international cricket in 2011 after playing 586 international games. Jayasuriya is the second-leading run-getter for Sri Lanka in ODIs, chalking up 13364 runs in 441 matches at a strike rate of 91.25.
In the final of the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy in 2000, he notched up his best ODI score of 189 against India in Sharjah. Jayasuriya was known for his excellent bowling skills as well. In the ODI format, he is the fourth-leading wicket-taker for his country with 320 wickets in 365 innings at an economy of 4.77.
Jayasuriya was a vital cog in Sri Lanka’s Test team as well. With 6973 runs in 188 innings of 110 Tests, he is the fourth-most successful Test batter for his national side. In 1997, Sri Lanka hosted India for two Tests and four ODIs. In the opening Test, he played an unprecedented knock of 340 and became the first Sri Lanka batter to score a triple century in red-ball cricket. The star Sri Lankan also played 31 T20Is for his country, in which he scored 629 runs and took 19 wickets.
3. Kumar Sangakkara
Kumara Sangakara. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper batter Kumara Sangakkara was known for his batting and wicketkeeping brilliance. In his 15-year international career, he played 594 games and became the second-leading run-scorer in world cricket, notching up 28016 runs in 666 innings. In Tests, he is the most successful batter with 12400 runs in 233 innings of 134 Tests.
With these batting figures, he is also the sixth-highest run-scorer in cricket’s oldest format. In 2014, he hit 319 runs against Bangladesh in Chattogram and became the third Sri Lanka player to notch up a triple century. The stylish left-handed Sri Lanka stalwart delivered exceptional services to his team in One-Day as well. Scoring 14234 runs in 404 ODIs at a strike rate of 78.86, he is the second-highest run-getter in the longest form of white-ball cricket.
Behind the wickets, Sangakkara performed 482 dismissals and became the best wicketkeeper in ODIs. In 2009, he was appointed the skipper of Sri Lanka for all three formats. Under his captaincy, the 1996 World Cup champions ended up as runners-up in the 2009 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup. In T20Is, Sangakkara scored 1382 runs in 56 T20Is at a strike rate of 119.55. The Sri Lanka legend was also a part of Sri Lanka’s 2014 T20 World Cup-winning side.
2. Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Mahela Jayawardene was one of the most disciplined batters Sri Lanka gave to world cricket. The dynamic right-handed batter played 652 matches in international cricket, in which he accumulated 25957 runs. In 2006, he played an iconic knock of 374 against South Africa in Colombo and became the second Sri Lankan to hit a triple ton in Tests.
Talking about his overall batting numbers in cricket’s oldest form, he is the second-highest run-scorer with 11814 runs in 252 innings of 149 Tests, with 34 centuries and fifty half-centuries. Jayawardene’s ODI records are stunning as well, the Colombo-born player is the third-highest run-scorer for his national side, racking up 12381 runs in 443 ODIs at a strike rate of 78.67.
In the 2010 World Cup, he played 100-run innings against Zimbabwe and became the first centurion for Sri Lanka in T20Is. The veteran served Sri Lanka’s T20I side from 2006 and 2014 and during his tenure, he made 1493 runs in 55 games at a decent strike rate of 133.18.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Former India star cricketer Sachin Tendulkar holds the record of playing the most international matches with 664 appearances. In his immense 24-year international career, he played cricket diligently and became the leading run-scorer in the game with 34357 runs with 100 tons and 164 fifties in 782 innings.
In Tests, he is the only cricketer to play 200 matches. The veteran, to date, is the leading run-scorer for India, amassing 15921 runs with 51 centuries and 68 fifties in 329 innings. Sachin is also the only player along with Pakistan’s former player Javed Miandad who appeared in six ODI World Cup editions.
The Master Blaster bid adieu to ODI cricket in December 2012 after giving 23 years to white-ball cricket’s longest form. He wrapped up his unprecedented ODI career with 18426 runs in 463 matches at a strike rate of 86.23. These enormous numbers are still unbreakable. In 2010, he scored 200 runs against South Africa in Gwalior and became the first batter to hit a double century in ODIs.