An opening batsman holds the key to his team in any form of the game. Whether it’s batting first or chasing, the role of the opener is very vital. That is why the best players on the team are mainly the openers. Over the years, this game has seen many big stars play as openers for their teams.
This article is also about some of the best openers that the game has ever seen. In this article, we will talk about the list of openers with the most centuries in international cricket. Sachin Tendulkar, who has 100 international hundreds, is second on the list. So who is first? Let’s check.
Most International Hundred by an Opening Batsman
| Player | Span | 100 | ODIs | Tests | T20Is |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Warner (AUS) | 2009-2023 | 46 | 20 | 25 | 1 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 1989-2013 | 45 | 45 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 1999-2021 | 42 | 25 | 15 | 2 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | 1989-2011 | 41 | 28 | 13 | 0 |
| Matthew Hayden (AUS) | 1993-2009 | 40 | 10 | 30 | 0 |
| Rohit Sharma (IND) | 2007-2023 | 39 | 28 | 7 | 4 |
| Graeme Smith (SA) | 2002-2014 | 37 | 10 | 27 | 0 |
| Alastair Cook (ENG) | 2006-2018 | 36 | 5 | 31 | 0 |
| Virender Sehwag (IND) | 1999-2013 | 36 | 14 | 22 | 0 |
| Desmond Haynes (WI) | 1978-1994 | 35 | 17 | 18 | 0 |
5. Matthew Hayden (AUS)
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden is in fifth place. Hayden was an aggressive opener who loved to take on the opposition’s bowling. The left-hander scored 40 centuries in his career, all of which came as openers. He scored 30 centuries in Tests and 10 in ODIs. Hayden scored 15066 runs in 273 games at an average of 47.67.
4. Sanath Jayasuriya (SL)
Former Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya is next on this list. Jayasuriya was the only player in history to score more than 13000 runs and take more than 300 wickets in ODI cricket. His overall stats were pretty good. He scored 42 centuries overall, out of which 41 came as an opener. As an opener, he scored 28 ODIs and 13 Test centuries.
3. Chris Gayle (WI)
Universe Boss” Chris Gayle is next on the list. The fierce opener was a nightmare for the bowlers. He only knew one game, which was to go after the bowling from the start. He was a beast when it came to power-hitting in white-ball cricket. But in tests, he is one of four to score two triple tons. Gayle scored 42 international tons as an opener, of which 15 came in tests, 25 in ODIs, and two in T20Is.
2. Sachin Tendulkar (IND)
There is hardly any batting record that Sachin Tendulkar doesn’t own. He is from a different league when it comes to batting in this game, that is, across formats. Sachin is the only player with 100 international centuries. But he played his entire test career as a middle order batter, and even in ODIs, he started as a middle order batter. Sachin scored 100 international hundreds, and 45 of those came as openers.
1. David Warner (AUS)
Veteran Australian star David Warner recently overtook Sachin Tendulkar to make history. He has now scored the most hundreds as an opener in international cricket. In his international career, Warner has played 352 games and scored 17517 runs at 42.20. The left-hander has scored 46 centuries, of which 20 came in ODIs, 25 in tests, and one in T20Is.