List of most century in tests shows lot closer race than similar one in one day internationals (ODI or one day matches). Sachin Tendulkar is leader in both the lists and finished one short of 50 hundreds whereas no other batsman internationally had even gone past 30 mark, until another Indian run-machine came along in Virat Kohli.
Ricky Ponting of Australia remained second and threatened Tendulkar’s record for a few years too but his one day form dipped before he retired from all formats. Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya, the man with 28 centuries, was in his prime during nineties and early 2000s.
Sourav Ganguly was another prolific century maker in the format but he quit after 22 while Herschelle Gibbs holds the record most centuries in one day matches for South Africa.
Interesting is the presence of Chris Gayle, man with maximum tons by a West Indies batsman (going past 18 by Brian Lara). Gayle may have had chances of challenging Tendulkar’s record in five years time but he’s lost in some battle with WICB.
Desmond Haynes once held the record before Tendulkar broke it, and owns it since then.
Can Virat Kohli break Tendulkar’s record? that’s the question we all will be wondering for a few years to come. Kohli is now only 17 centuries behind Tendulkar. Do take note of Hashim Amla too, who is quietly climbing up the ladder, although AB de Villiers seems to have lost steam in the recent past with injury issues.
Nathan Astle and Ross Taylor hold New Zealand record with 16 hundreds while Marcus Trescothick has most ODI hundreds by an England batsman = 12, although Joe Root is sure to breach that mark.
| Most century by a batsman in one day cricket career. | ||||||
| Batsman (Country) | 100s | ODIs | 50s | NO | Best | 0s |
| Sachin Tendulkar (India) | 49 | 463 | 96 | 41 | 200* | 20 |
| Virat Kohli (India) | 32 | 202 | 45 | 25 | 183 | 10 |
| Ricky Ponting (Australia) | 30 | 375 | 82 | 39 | 164 | 20 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) | 28 | 445 | 68 | 18 | 189 | 34 |
| Hashim Amla (South Africa) | 26 | 158 | 34 | 11 | 159 | 3 |
| AB de Villiers (South Africa) | 25 | 225 | 53 | 39 | 176 | 7 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) | 25 | 404 | 93 | 38 | 169 | 15 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri lanka) | 22 | 327 | 47 | 41 | 160* | 11 |
| Sourav Ganguly (India) | 22 | 311 | 72 | 23 | 183 | 16 |
| Chris Gayle (West Indies) | 22 | 273 | 48 | 17 | 215 | 23 |
| Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa) | 21 | 248 | 37 | 16 | 175 | 22 |
| Saeed Anwar (Pakistan) | 20 | 247 | 43 | 19 | 194 | 15 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) | 19 | 448 | 77 | 39 | 144 | 28 |
| Brian Lara (West Indies) | 19 | 299 | 63 | 32 | 169 | 16 |
| Mark Waugh (Australia) | 18 | 244 | 50 | 20 | 173 | 16 |
| Ross Taylor (New Zealand) | 17 | 193 | 38 | 29 | 131* | 9 |
| Jacques Kallis (South Africa) | 17 | 328 | 86 | 53 | 139 | 17 |
| Desmond Haynes (West Indies) | 17 | 238 | 57 | 28 | 152* | 13 |
| Nathan Astle (New Zealand) | 16 | 223 | 41 | 14 | 145* | 19 |
| Adam Gilchrist (Australia) | 16 | 287 | 55 | 11 | 172 | 19 |
| Rohit Sharma | 15 | 171 | 34 | 25 | 264 | 11 |
| Virender Sehwag (India) | 15 | 251 | 38 | 1 | 219 | 14 |
| Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan) | 15 | 288 | 64 | 40 | 141* | 15 |
| Upul Tharanga (Sri lanka) | 15 | 215 | 35 | 16 | 174* | 16 |
| David Warner (Australia) | 14 | 101 | 17 | 4 | 179 | 2 |
| Yuvraj Singh (India) | 14 | 295 | 51 | 39 | 139 | 18 |
| Quinton de Kock (South Africa) | 13 | 88 | 15 | 5 | 178 | 2 |
| Gary Kirsten (South Africa) | 13 | 185 | 45 | 19 | 188* | 11 |
| Martin Guptill (New Zealand) | 12 | 149 | 32 | 16 | 237* | 12 |
| Marcus Trescothick (England) | 12 | 123 | 21 | 6 | 137 | 13 |
| Rahul Dravid (India) | 12 | 344 | 83 | 40 | 153 | 13 |
Upcoming batsmen
Who haven’t retired and may rise up the ladder to join above list are..
11 centuries = Shikhar Dhawan & Gautam Gambhir of India, Eoin Morgan of England (+Ireland), and Md Hafeez of Pakistan.
10 centuries = Joe Root (England), MS Dhoni (India), and Marlon Samuels (WI).
9 centuries = Shoaib Malik (Pak), Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh), and Kane Williamson (NZ).
