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Written by Akash Saha | Edited and fact-checked by Amit Saha | Editorial policy
Quick answer: Sachin Tendulkar has the most centuries in international cricket with 100 (51 Tests, 49 ODIs). Virat Kohli is second with 86 (30 Tests, 55 ODIs, 1 T20I), and Ricky Ponting is third with 71. Among active players, Joe Root (61) is closing in on Jacques Kallis and Kumar Sangakkara, and Rohit Sharma (52) has just entered the top 10.
Stats updated to 24 October 2026, after India’s ODI series against West Indies.
Scoring a century is a big achievement for any batter. It takes discipline, concentration and the confidence to keep going after the first fifty. Plenty of batters have made a hundred, but only a handful have made it a habit across Tests, ODIs and T20Is. Here are the players with the most centuries in international cricket, counting all three formats.
Top 10 Batters With Most Centuries in International Cricket
| Rank | Player (Team) | Career | Test | ODI | T20I | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 1989–2013 | 51 | 49 | 0 | 100 |
| 2 | Virat Kohli (IND)* | 2008– | 30 | 55 | 1 | 86 |
| 3 | Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 1995–2012 | 41 | 30 | 0 | 71 |
| 4 | Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | 2000–2015 | 38 | 25 | 0 | 63 |
| 5 | Jacques Kallis (SA) | 1995–2014 | 45 | 17 | 0 | 62 |
| 6 | Joe Root (ENG)* | 2012– | 41 | 20 | 0 | 61 |
| 7 | Hashim Amla (SA) | 2004–2019 | 28 | 27 | 0 | 55 |
| 8 | Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 1997–2015 | 34 | 19 | 1 | 54 |
| 9 | Brian Lara (WI) | 1990–2007 | 34 | 19 | – | 53 |
| 10 | Rohit Sharma (IND)* | 2007– | 12 | 35 | 5 | 52 |
Just outside the top 10 are Steve Smith and David Warner on 49, and Rahul Dravid and Kane Williamson on 48.
Top 3 Batters With Most International Hundreds
1. Sachin Tendulkar – 100 centuries
Sachin Tendulkar is the only batter in history with 100 international centuries: 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs. Between 1989 and 2013 he scored 34,357 runs in 664 matches (782 innings) across Tests, ODIs and his single T20I, which is also the record for most international runs.
2. Virat Kohli – 86 centuries
Virat Kohli is second with 86 hundreds: 30 in Tests, 55 in ODIs and one in T20Is. His 55 ODI centuries are the most in the format’s history, six more than Tendulkar’s 49. His latest came on 27 September 2026, an unbeaten 139 against West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram. Kohli has retired from Tests and T20Is, so every century he adds now has to come in ODIs. He needs 14 more to match Tendulkar.
3. Ricky Ponting – 71 centuries
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is third with 71 hundreds (41 Tests, 30 ODIs). He scored 27,483 runs in 560 matches and 668 innings, with 146 fifties across all formats. Kohli overtook his total of 71 with an ODI hundred against Bangladesh in December 2022.
Active Players Climbing the List
Joe Root – 61 centuries
England’s Joe Root has 61 international hundreds (41 Tests, 20 ODIs), the most by any England batter. One more century takes him level with Jacques Kallis (62), and three more would take him past Kumar Sangakkara (63) into fourth place. His 41 Test hundreds are joint third on the all-time Test list with Ponting, behind only Tendulkar (51) and Kallis (45). See how he compares with other England greats in most runs for England in all formats.
Rohit Sharma – 52 centuries
Rohit Sharma moved into the top 10 with his 35th ODI hundred, a 75-ball 101 against West Indies in Guwahati on 30 September 2026, during the record 406 chase in which Shubman Gill hit the fastest ODI double century. Rohit now has 52 international centuries (12 Tests, 35 ODIs, 5 T20Is) and needs one more to draw level with Brian Lara. Only Kohli and Tendulkar have more ODI hundreds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the most centuries in international cricket?
Sachin Tendulkar has the most international centuries, with 100 (51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs).
How many centuries does Virat Kohli have in international cricket?
Virat Kohli has 86 international centuries: 30 in Tests, 55 in ODIs and 1 in T20Is.
Which active player has the most international centuries?
Virat Kohli, with 86. Joe Root (61) and Rohit Sharma (52) are the next highest among players still in international cricket.
Who has the most ODI centuries?
Virat Kohli, with 55. Sachin Tendulkar is second with 49 and Rohit Sharma third with 35.
Who has the most Test centuries?
Sachin Tendulkar has the most Test centuries with 51, followed by Jacques Kallis (45), and Ricky Ponting and Joe Root (41 each).
Can Virat Kohli reach 100 international centuries?
He needs 14 more, and since he now plays only ODIs, all of them would have to come in that format. It is possible but would need several more years of ODI cricket at his current rate.
More records: most centuries in World Cup history, most runs in Test cricket, and the full cricket records and stats index. Follow the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 for Kohli’s and Rohit’s next chances to add to these tallies.
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