Who holds the record for scoring the most centuries in cricket?

Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar has the most centuries in cricket across all three formats. The Master Blaster has amassed an unbelievable 100 centuries before retiring in 2013.

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Top 20 Batsmen With Most Centuries in Cricket as of 2022

No other cricketer has ever come close to Tendulkar’s feat, with Ricky Ponting’s 71 being the second-most number of centuries scored in international cricket. Let’s take a look at the top five batsmen to have score most centuries in cricket history.

Most centuries in cricket: Sachin Tendulkar – 100 centuries

Sachin Tendulkar is the only cricketer in the history of the game to have scored a century of centuries. Quite unsurprisingly, he leads the way when it comes to most centuries in cricket.

One of the greatest cricket idols in the world, Tendulkar made his international debut in 1989 against Pakistan in a Test match. He went on to play 200 Test matches in his career, the most by any cricketer, from which he scored 51 centuries. The 114 against Australia in Perth in 1992, 169 against South Africa in Cape Town in 1997, unbeaten 155 against Australia in Chennai in 1998, 136 against Pakistan in Chennai in 1999 and the unbeaten 241 against Australia in Sydney in 2014 are some of Tendulkar’s greatest centuries in Test cricket.

Coming to Sachin’s ODI career, he played 463 matches from 1989 to 2012, scoring more than 18000 runs at an average of over 44. The right-hander scored 49 centuries in the 50-over format, which includes the 100th century of his career that came against Bangladesh in 2012. The unbeaten 200 against South Africa in Gwalior in 2010, 175 against Australia in Hyderabad in 2009, unbeaten 140 against Kenya in Bristol in 1999 and of course, the 143 against Australia in Sharjah in 1998 are some of Tendulkar’s most remembered ODI centuries.

Ricky Ponting – 71 centuries

Second on the list for most centuries in cricket is one of the greatest captains of all time, Ricky Ponting. The former Australian skipper played international cricket from 1995 to 2012, during which he scored 71 centuries across formats. Ponting played 168 Test matches, scoring 13378 runs at an average of 51.85. This includes 41 centuries, from which the best ones came against India. Ponting scored 242 against India in Adelaide in 2003, 257 that same year in Melbourne, and 221 in Adelaide in 2012. Some of his other memorable Test centuries are the 156 versus England in Manchester, 2005 and 143* versus South Africa in Sydney, 2006. As a Test captain, Ponting boasts of a winning percentage of 62.33.

In ODIs, Ponting finished his 375-match career with an average of 42.03. He scored 30 centuries in this format and 82 fifties. 145 against Zimbabwe in New Delhi in 1998, 129 against South Africa in Bloemfontein in 2002, and 140 against India in Johannesburg at the 2003 ODI World Cup final are some of the centuries that are still widely remembered by fans. Ponting is also the most successful ODI captain of all time with a percentage of 76.14.

Virat Kohli – 70 centuries

It has been over two years since former India captain Virat Kohli scored a century in international cricket, and yet he sits at the third spot on the list of top five cricketers with most centuries at the highest level. Kohli is also the only active cricketer on the list. The 33-year-old has scored 70 centuries so far, 27 of which have come in whites and 43 in ODIs.

Kohli averages above 50 in all three formats of the game, but the average of 59.07 in ODIs is the one that stands out. Nicknamed the ‘run machine, Kohli has hit some top-notch knocks in the format, but there are a few that he would be most proud of. The 133* off just 86 balls against Sri Lanka in Hobart in 2012 which helped India chase down 321 in just 36.4 overs is one such knock. Another masterclass from Kohli’s bat is the 183 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup in 2012. The 148-ball 183 helped India chase 330 with 13 balls to spare.

Of the 27 Test centuries scored by Virat, seven are double centuries. The unbeaten 254 against South Africa in 2019 is one of the best Test innings played by Kohli at home, helping India win by an innings and 137 runs. The 235 at the Wankhede stadium against England in 2016 is another of his gems in the longest format.

Kumar Sangakkara – 63 centuries

Kohli is followed on the list by former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara on number four. One of the greatest left-handers of all-time, Sangakkara played his last international game in 2015, before which he scored 63 centuries – 38 in Tests and 25 in ODIs. This includes a whopping 11 double centuries. 

Although regarded as an all-format genius, the wicketkeeper was a much more dangerous batter in whites than he was in the shorter format. He averaged 57.40 in 134 Tests, thus being the highest-scoring left-handed Test batter of all-time. The 219 against India in 2010, 192 against Australia in 2007, 230 vs Pakistan in 2002 and 232 and 287 vs South Africa in 2004 and 2006, respectively, are some of Sangakkara’s greatest Test centuries.

In the shorter format, the southpaw averaged 41.98 in 404 games before playing his last game in 2015. The year in which he retired, Sangakkara made history by becoming the first male cricketer to score four consecutive ODI centuries. He did this in the 2015 World Cup against Bangladesh (105), England (117) Australia (104) and Scotland (124). Additionally, Sangakkara is the third-highest run-scorer in World Cup history and the leading run-getter for his country at the quadrennial event.

Jacques Kallis – 62 centuries

The list ends with Jacques Kallis, a colossus of the South African team at his time. The right-hander hit 62 centuries in a career spanning across 19 years – 45 in Tests, 17 in ODIs. Kallis made the world notice him when he scored a fantastic 101 on the fifth day of the Boxing Day Test in 1997, which was his seventh Test match. From there on, he went on to become one of the greatest players of all-time and ended his Test career with an average of 55.37. Kallis bowed out of Test cricket in 2013 with a century in his final outing. While it wasn’t one of his best centuries, there couldn’t have been a better end to one of South Africa’s finest Test careers. Additionally, Kallis also has the most Player of the Match awards in Test history (23).

In ODIs, the all-rounder averaged over 44, with his greatest performance coming against India in 2006 in Durban. Kallis contributed 119 in South Africa’s total of 248, before picking up 3/3 in 4.1 overs to help bowl India out for 91.

Kallis is the only player to make 12,000 international runs and take 500 wickets, only South African to make over 10,000 runs in Tests or ODIs, and has also taken the third-most catches in Test history.

Also read: What is Test cricket?

FAQs

Who has the most centuries in ODI cricket?

Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most centuries in ODI cricket. He has 49 hundreds between 1989-2012.

Who has the most centuries in T20 cricket?

Chris Gayle has the most centuries in T20 cricket, with 22 hundreds to his name in the shortest format.

Who has the most centuries as an opener in all formats?

Sachin Tendulkar has the most centuries as an opener with 45 centuries to his name batting in the opening position in ODIs.

Who has most overseas centuries in ODI?

Virat Kohli has the most number of overseas centuries ion ODI cricket with 20 tons away from home.