Most centuries in international cricket by country

When we talk about cricket, there are 9-10 teams which have been playing at the highest level for last 4-5 decades. Cricket is a colonial game and is more famous in countries that were once colonies.

Although there are many other teams which are moving up the ranks quickly, most of the records are still held by teams that have been playing cricket for long. Teams like Ireland, Afghanistan and Nepal ave done really well to attain ODI status.

Here we are talking about players who have scored most centuries for their respective teams.

Let us have a look at the top 10 players who have scored most centuries for their teams:

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#1 Sachin Tendulkar (India)

Sachin Tendulkar has 100 centuries in world cricket

There is no record in the world which doesn't have Sachin Tendulkar on the list. With a career spanning over 23 years, there is hardly any record left to be broken by him. He holds the records for most centuries overall, most Test centuries, most ODI centuries, most runs in ODI cricket among many others.

Evidently, Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for most centuries for India across all the formats. He is the only player on the planet to have scored 100 international centuries.

Number of centuries: 100

#2 Ricky Ponting (Australia)

From finding a place in what was a star-studded lineup, Ricky Ponting carved a special place for himself in cricket history. When he started playing for Australia, the team had legends like Steve Waugh, Mark Waugh, Mark Taylor, Michael Slater and many others.

Soon he made No. 3 his own position. He broke a plethora of records and became the most successful captain in the cricket history. Under him, Australia won 2 world cups and remained No. 1 in Tests for nearly a decade.

Not just as a captain, Ponting was a destructive batsman too, who could take the attack to the opposition. He is the most successful batsman for Australia.

Currently, he holds the record for most centuries for Australia.

Number of centuries: 71

#3 Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)

Sangakkara arrived at the international stage in 2000. He had a career spanning from 2000 to 2015. The wicket-keeper batsman, along with Mahela Jayawardene, remained an integral part of the team for over a decade.

Sangakkara remained the most prolific batsman for Sri Lanka across formats. He holds the record for most centuries for Sri Lanka across formats.

Number of centuries: 63

#4 Jacques Kallis (South Africa)

Jacques Kallis could fit into the team purely as a batsman. His batting prowess can be seen from his batting record. With over 25,000 runs across formats, he is easily one of the best the game has ever seen. His batting was such that his bowling remained underrated most of the times.

He had a staggering average of 55 in Tests and nearly 45 in ODI cricket. He also holds the record for the maximum number of centuries for SA across formats.

Number of centuries: 62

#5 Brian Lara (West Indies)

West Indies, at one time, were the most dominating team in world cricket. Before the turn of the millennium, their team was always studded with legends. Brian Lara, however, stood apart even in those legends.

He is said to be the classiest batsman ever seen. The fluency in his batting often brought him accolades. According to legends like Muralitharan, he was the toughest batsman to bowl to.

He holds multiple records in world cricket. He is the only player to have scored 400 runs in a single inning in test cricket. He is also the leading batsman in terms of the number of centuries for West Indies.

Number of centuries: 53

#6 Younis Khan (Pakistan)

Pakistan has predominantly been the bowlers' team. Over the years, they have produced some of the best pacers in world cricket. Players like Imran Khan, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar could rattle any batting line-up in the world.

Among such bowlers, there have been very less batsman in Pakistan who have held the fort in batting. One such batsman is Younis Khan. Younis, along with Inzamam ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf, formed the middle order of Pakistan for nearly a decade.

Younis Khan has scored a plethora of runs in all formats and is currently the record holder for maximum number of centuries for Pakistan

Number of centuries: 41

#7 Alistair Cook (England)

Having scored 32 centuries in Test cricket, Cook's name is right up there the legends of England cricket.

Cook has conquered nearly every nation when it comes to scoring runs. His batting prowess helped create history by beating India in a Test series in India. His record is phenomenal across the world. He has scored the maximum number of centuries for England.

Number of centuries: 37

#8 Ross Taylor (New Zealand)

Often regarded one among the best batsman to have played for New Zealand, Ross Taylor has played some of the best innings witnessed in NZ jersey. The Kiwi batsman is known for his prowess on the onside. His six hitting towards mid wicket is a sight for everyone to see.

He holds the record for maximum number of centuries for the kiwis.

Number of centuries: 36

#9 Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh)

Bangladesh have been on the rise in all forms of cricket. They have become a force to reckon with in the past few years. One of their key players, who has a big hand in their success, is Tamim Iqbal.

A solid left-handed batsman who opens the innings for them and currently holds the record for a maximum number of centuries for Bangladesh.

Number of centuries: 18

#10 Andy Flower (Zimbabwe)

Perhaps the best batsman ever to have played for Zimbabwe, Andy Flower took the team to new heights. He, along with his brother Grant Flower, formed the formidable middle order of Zimbabwe in the 90s. He also donned the gloves behind the wickets for Zimbabwe.

He holds the record for most centuries for Zimbabwe. Another wicket-keeper batsman Brendan Taylor is not far behind in this regard and may soon eclipse this record.

Number of centuries: 16