Cricket is the second-most popular sport in history after football. It came into existence in 1877 with a test match. Then, on January 5, 1971, the first ODI game was played, and T20I was introduced on February 17, 2005. Countless players played this sport over the years for their countries.
But only ten players were able to sustain themselves at the international level for more than 500 games. This article will include a list of players who have played 500 or more international matches in history. There are four Indians on the list, with Sachin Tendulkar at the top.
Players with Most International matches in Cricket
| Batter | Span | Mts | Runs | Hs | Avg | 100s | Wkts |
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 1989-2013 | 664 | 34357 | 248* | 48.52 | 100 | 201 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 1997-2015 | 652 | 25957 | 374 | 39.15 | 54 | 14 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | 2000-2015 | 594 | 28016 | 319 | 46.77 | 63 | 0 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | 1989-2011 | 586 | 21032 | 340 | 34.14 | 42 | 440 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 1995-2012 | 560 | 27483 | 257 | 45.95 | 71 | 8 |
| MS Dhoni (IND) | 2004-2019 | 538 | 17266 | 224 | 44.96 | 16 | 1 |
| Shahid Afridi (PAK) | 1996-2018 | 524 | 11196 | 156 | 23.92 | 11 | 541 |
| Jacques Kallis (SA) | 1995-2014 | 519 | 25534 | 224 | 48.10 | 62 | 557 |
| Rahul Dravid (IND) | 1996-2012 | 509 | 24208 | 270 | 45.41 | 48 | 8 |
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 2008-2023 | 500 | 25582 | 254* | 53.63 | 76 | 8 |
5. Ricky Ponting (AUS) – 560 Games
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting led his country to 2003 and 2007 ODI World Cup wins. He played most matches for his country and scored the most runs, with the most centuries as well. Ponting played 17 years of international cricket and featured in 560 matches (168 Tests, 375 ODIs & 17 T20Is) and scored 27483 runs with 71 centuries and 146 half-centuries.
4. Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) – 586 Games
Former Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya is fourth on the list. He is the second-most capped ODI player after Sachin. Jayasuriya made his debut in 1989 and played for 22 years, which is one of the longest international careers. Overall, he played 586 games (110 Tests, 445 ODIs & 31 T20Is) and scored 21032 runs with 42 centuries and 103 half-centuries. Jayasuriya also took 440 wickets across formats.
3. Kumar Sangakkara (SL) – 594 Games
Kumar Sangakkara was one of the best all-format wicketkeepers that played the game. He was the leading scorer for his country and scored the most centuries as well. Sanga made his international debut in 2000 and played until 2015. He played 594 international matches (134 Tests, 404 ODIs & 56 T20Is) and scored 28016 runs, including 63 centuries and 153 half-centuries.
2. Mahela Jayawardene (SL) – 652 Games
Former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene was the most capped player from his country across formats. He played for 18 years (1997-2015) and represented his country in 652 games (149 Tests, 448 ODIs & 55 T20Is) and scored 25957 runs, with 54 centuries and 136 half-centuries. Jayawardene is one of the few batters with more than 11,000 runs in both ODIs and Tests.
1. Sachin Tendulkar (IND) – 664 Games
Sachin Tendulkar is synonymous with longevity in cricket. He holds many records in this game, including the longest ODI career, which spanned 24 years between 1989 and 2013. Sachin played for India in 664 games (200 Tests, 463 ODIs, and 1 T20I) and is the only player with more than 30000 international runs. He has scored 34357 runs, with 100 centuries and 164 half-centuries. Sachin has also taken 201 wickets across formats.