All-Time Batting Records in Cricket — Most Runs, Fastest Centuries, Highest Scores 2026
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All-Time Batting Records in Cricket — The Complete 2026 Guide
Cricket is a batsman's game at its heart. From Sachin Tendulkar's 34,357 international runs to AB de Villiers smashing a century in 31 balls, the sport's history is written in batting milestones that define eras.
This is the definitive reference for every major batting record across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Whether you want to settle a debate, compare legends like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, or simply enjoy the numbers, every stat you need is right here — updated through early 2026.
Most Runs in International Cricket
The all-time run scoring list is dominated by players who excelled across multiple formats over long careers. Here are the top 10 run scorers in international cricket history.
| Rank | Player | Country | Matches | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | India | 664 | 34,357 | 45.16 |
| 2 | Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 594 | 28,016 | 42.35 |
| 3 | Ricky Ponting | Australia | 560 | 27,483 | 42.03 |
| 4 | Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 652 | 25,957 | 35.26 |
| 5 | Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 519 | 25,534 | 44.36 |
| 6 | Virat Kohli | India | 500+ | 25,000+ | 46+ |
| 7 | Rahul Dravid | India | 509 | 24,208 | 42.52 |
| 8 | Brian Lara | West Indies | 430 | 22,358 | 43.26 |
| 9 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul | West Indies | 408 | 20,580 | 44.17 |
| 10 | Inzamam-ul-Haq | Pakistan | 378 | 20,541 | 40.67 |
Who scored 50,000 runs in international cricket? No batsman in history has reached 50,000 international runs. Sachin Tendulkar holds the all-time record with 34,357 runs — still nearly 16,000 short of that mark. Given the demands of modern scheduling and the rise of T20 specialisation, it is extremely unlikely any player will get close to 50,000.
Most Runs in Test Cricket
Test cricket is the ultimate examination of batting ability. Only 14 batsmen have crossed the 10,000-run barrier in the longest format.
| Rank | Player | Country | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | India | 200 | 15,921 | 53.78 | 51 |
| 2 | Ricky Ponting | Australia | 168 | 13,378 | 51.85 | 41 |
| 3 | Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 166 | 13,289 | 55.37 | 45 |
| 4 | Rahul Dravid | India | 164 | 13,288 | 52.31 | 36 |
| 5 | Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 134 | 12,400 | 57.40 | 38 |
| 6 | Brian Lara | West Indies | 131 | 11,953 | 52.88 | 34 |
| 7 | Alastair Cook | England | 161 | 12,472 | 45.35 | 33 |
| 8 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul | West Indies | 164 | 11,867 | 51.37 | 30 |
| 9 | Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 149 | 11,814 | 49.84 | 34 |
| 10 | Allan Border | Australia | 156 | 11,174 | 50.56 | 27 |
Who scored 10,000 Test runs? Fourteen batsmen have achieved this milestone: Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid, Kumar Sangakkara, Brian Lara, Alastair Cook, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Mahela Jayawardene, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Sunil Gavaskar, Younis Khan, and Joe Root. Root, still active, continues to add to his tally.
Most Runs in ODI Cricket
One-Day International cricket has produced some of the most prolific run machines in history. The top of this list belongs exclusively to Sachin Tendulkar.
| Rank | Player | Country | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | India | 463 | 18,426 | 44.83 | 49 |
| 2 | Virat Kohli | India | 280+ | 13,800+ | 57+ | 50 |
| 3 | Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 404 | 14,234 | 41.98 | 25 |
| 4 | Ricky Ponting | Australia | 375 | 13,704 | 42.03 | 30 |
| 5 | Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 445 | 13,430 | 32.36 | 28 |
| 6 | Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 448 | 12,650 | 33.37 | 19 |
| 7 | Inzamam-ul-Haq | Pakistan | 378 | 11,739 | 39.52 | 10 |
| 8 | Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 328 | 11,579 | 44.36 | 17 |
| 9 | Sourav Ganguly | India | 311 | 11,363 | 41.02 | 22 |
| 10 | Rohit Sharma | India | 265 | 10,800+ | 49+ | 31 |
Which players have 14,000 runs in ODI cricket? Only two players have crossed 14,000 ODI runs — Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234). Virat Kohli is approaching this milestone and could become the third player to reach 14,000 ODI runs depending on India's schedule.
Fastest Centuries in Cricket
Speed records fascinate cricket fans like nothing else. Here are the fastest centuries across all three formats.
Fastest Century in ODI Cricket
| Rank | Player | Balls | Against | Year | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AB de Villiers | 31 | West Indies | 2015 | Johannesburg |
| 2 | Corey Anderson | 36 | West Indies | 2014 | Queenstown |
| 3 | Mark Boucher | 44 | Zimbabwe | 2006 | Potchefstroom |
| 4 | Shahid Afridi | 37 | Sri Lanka | 1996 | Nairobi |
| 5 | Abishek Sharma | 46 | Various | 2024 | Various |
Who made 100 in 31 balls? AB de Villiers scored the fastest ODI century in just 31 balls against the West Indies on 18 January 2015 at the Wanderers, Johannesburg. He finished with 149 off 44 balls, hitting 16 sixes and 9 fours in one of the most brutal innings ever played.
Fastest Century in T20I Cricket
| Rank | Player | Balls | Against | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sahil Chauhan | 27 | Maldives | 2024 |
| 2 | Rohit Sharma | 35 | Sri Lanka | 2017 |
| 3 | David Miller | 35 | Bangladesh | 2017 |
| 4 | Chris Gayle | 30 | England | 2016 |
| 5 | Aaron Finch | 42 | England | 2013 |
Fastest Century in Test Cricket
| Rank | Player | Balls | Against | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Stokes | 47 | West Indies | 2022 |
| 2 | Viv Richards | 56 | England | 1986 |
| 3 | Misbah-ul-Haq | 56 | Australia | 2014 |
| 4 | Adam Gilchrist | 57 | England | 2006 |
| 5 | Jack Gregory | 67 | South Africa | 1921 |
Highest Individual Scores
Highest Score in Test Cricket
Brian Lara holds the record for the highest individual score in Test cricket — 400 not out against England in Antigua (2004). He also previously held the record with 375 against the same opposition.
| Rank | Player | Score | Against | Year | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brian Lara | 400* | England | 2004 | Antigua |
| 2 | Matthew Hayden | 380 | Zimbabwe | 2003 | Perth |
| 3 | Brian Lara | 375 | England | 1994 | Antigua |
| 4 | Virender Sehwag | 319 | South Africa | 2008 | Chennai |
| 5 | Virender Sehwag | 309 | Pakistan | 2004 | Multan |
| 6 | Chris Gayle | 317 | South Africa | 2005 | Antigua |
Who scored 2 triple centuries in Test cricket? Virender Sehwag is the only batsman to score two triple centuries in Test cricket — 309 against Pakistan in Multan (2004) and 319 against South Africa in Chennai (2008). Brian Lara scored 375 and 400* but the 375 is not a triple century in the technical sense since both are separate records. Chris Gayle also scored a triple century (317) but only one.
Highest Score in ODI Cricket
Rohit Sharma holds the record for the highest individual score in ODI cricket — 264 against Sri Lanka in Kolkata (2014). He is also the only player to score three ODI double centuries.
| Rank | Player | Score | Against | Year | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | 264 | Sri Lanka | 2014 | Kolkata |
| 2 | Martin Guptill | 237* | West Indies | 2015 | Wellington |
| 3 | Fakhar Zaman | 210* | Zimbabwe | 2018 | Bulawayo |
| 4 | Rohit Sharma | 209 | Australia | 2013 | Bangalore |
| 5 | Sachin Tendulkar | 200* | South Africa | 2010 | Gwalior |
Who scored 200 runs in ODI cricket? Several batsmen have scored ODI double centuries. Sachin Tendulkar was the first player in history to score 200 in an ODI (200* vs South Africa, 2010). Rohit Sharma holds the record with 264 and has three double centuries (264, 209, and 208*). Martin Guptill (237*) and Fakhar Zaman (210*) are also members of this exclusive club.
Highest Score in T20 International
Who scored 344 in T20? No batsman has scored 344 in a T20 international match. The highest individual T20I score is around 170-175 (Hazratullah Zazai scored 162 for Afghanistan). In domestic franchise T20 cricket, scores above 170 have occurred but 344 has never been achieved by an individual in any professional T20 match. The number 344 may be confused with team totals — some T20 teams have posted scores above 260.
Most Centuries in International Cricket
Who scored 99 centuries? No batsman has finished their career on exactly 99 international centuries. Sachin Tendulkar holds the all-time record with 100 international centuries — 51 in Test cricket and 49 in ODI cricket. He reached this milestone on 16 March 2012 against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup at Mirpur.
Virat Kohli is the next closest active player, with 80+ international centuries across formats and still adding to his tally.
| Rank | Player | Test 100s | ODI 100s | T20I 100s | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | 51 | 49 | 0 | 100 |
| 2 | Virat Kohli | 29 | 50 | 1 | 80+ |
| 3 | Ricky Ponting | 41 | 30 | 0 | 71 |
| 4 | Kumar Sangakkara | 38 | 25 | 0 | 63 |
| 5 | Jacques Kallis | 45 | 17 | 0 | 62 |
| 6 | Hashim Amla | 28 | 27 | 0 | 55 |
| 7 | Mahela Jayawardene | 34 | 19 | 0 | 53 |
| 8 | Brian Lara | 34 | 19 | 0 | 53 |
| 9 | Rohit Sharma | 12 | 31 | 4 | 47+ |
| 10 | Rahul Dravid | 36 | 12 | 0 | 48 |
Most Sixes in International Cricket
The power-hitting revolution has made six-hitting one of the most tracked stats in modern cricket.
| Rank | Player | Country | Tests | ODIs | T20Is | Total 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | India | 127 | 275 | 200+ | 600+ |
| 2 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | 98 | 331 | 124 | 553 |
| 3 | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 52 | 351 | 48 | 476 |
| 4 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | 35 | 173 | 132 | 363 |
| 5 | Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | 107 | 200 | 55 | 398 |
| 6 | MS Dhoni | India | 78 | 229 | 42 | 359 |
| 7 | Virat Kohli | India | 90+ | 150+ | 40+ | 280+ |
| 8 | AB de Villiers | South Africa | 75 | 204 | 55 | 334 |
| 9 | Adam Gilchrist | Australia | 100 | 149 | 3 | 252 |
| 10 | Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 31 | 270 | 18 | 319 |
Who hit 6 fours in 6 balls? This question is often confused with hitting six sixes in an over. Herschelle Gibbs famously hit 6 sixes in 6 balls off Daan van Bunge (Netherlands) during the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Yuvraj Singh hit 6 sixes in an over off Stuart Broad in the 2007 T20 World Cup. As for 6 fours in 6 consecutive deliveries, this has happened multiple times in various matches across formats — it is not attributed to a single iconic moment like the six sixes.
Who Scored 500 Runs in One Match?
No batsman has scored 500 runs in a single match in international cricket. The highest individual Test innings is Brian Lara's 400 not out. Even across both innings of a Test match, no player has accumulated 500 runs.
In first-class cricket, the closest anyone came was Hanif Mohammad of Pakistan, who scored 499 for Karachi against Bahawalpur in 1959 — controversially run out one short of 500. Brian Lara's first-class record is 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994, which remains the highest individual score in any form of first-class cricket.
Who is the fastest ODI batsman? The fastest batsman in ODI cricket in terms of strike rate (minimum 1,000 runs) changes based on the era. Among modern players with significant careers, AB de Villiers (101.09 SR), Glenn Maxwell (125+ SR), and Jos Buttler (118+ SR) stand out. For sheer destructive speed, AB de Villiers' overall ODI career strike rate of 101.09 across 9,577 runs is considered the gold standard.
FAQ — Cricket Batting Records
Who scored 50,000 runs in cricket? No player has scored 50,000 international runs. Sachin Tendulkar's 34,357 is the all-time record.
Who scored 10,000 Test runs? Fourteen batsmen have reached 10,000 Test runs. Sachin Tendulkar leads with 15,921, followed by Ponting, Kallis, Dravid, Sangakkara, Cook, Lara, and others.
Who scored 200 runs in ODI? Sachin Tendulkar was the first (200* vs South Africa, 2010). Rohit Sharma holds the record at 264 vs Sri Lanka (2014). Guptill and Fakhar Zaman are also in the club.
Who made 100 runs in 31 balls? AB de Villiers scored the fastest ODI century in 31 balls against West Indies at Johannesburg in 2015.
Who scored 2 triple centuries in Test cricket? Virender Sehwag is the only batsman with two Test triple centuries — 309 vs Pakistan (2004) and 319 vs South Africa (2008).
Who scored 99 centuries? No player finished on 99 centuries. Sachin Tendulkar retired with exactly 100 international centuries.
Who hit 6 fours in 6 balls? Hitting 6 fours in 6 consecutive deliveries has occurred in various matches. The more famous record is Herschelle Gibbs and Yuvraj Singh hitting 6 sixes in an over.
Which players have 14,000 runs in ODI? Only Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) have crossed 14,000 ODI runs. Virat Kohli is approaching this milestone.
Who is the fastest ODI batsman? By career strike rate with significant runs, AB de Villiers (SR 101.09 across 9,577 runs) is the fastest. Glenn Maxwell and Jos Buttler also have exceptional strike rates.
Who scored 344 in T20? No individual has scored 344 in any T20 match. The highest individual T20I score is around 162 (Hazratullah Zazai for Afghanistan).
Who scored 500 runs in one match? No one in international cricket. Brian Lara's 400* is the highest Test innings. In first-class cricket, Lara scored 501* for Warwickshire in 1994.
Cricket batting records are a living archive that evolves with every series. For more cricket stats and records, check out our all-time IPL records guide and the head-to-head breakdown of Virat Kohli vs Rohit Sharma.
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Deepak Soni
Expert in: How To GuidesCricket analyst and content writer at CricJosh, covering How To Guides with 6 articles published.
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