10 Batsmen with most 100s in ODI cricket 

One day international cricket is a format where batsman like to be on the aggressive and step on the acceleration button to score runs at a brisk pace and help their team win matches.

Over the years, some batting legends have dominated the sport by scoring a bagful of runs against quality bowling attacks. While some of them have been power hitters like Jayasuriya, Gilchrist, Gayle and McCullum, others have been elegant stroke makers like Amla, Waugh and Rohit Sharma.

We have also seen clinical finishers in Bevan, Dhoni and Buttler and some who play the sheet anchor’s role to perfection like Chanderpaul, Dravid and Sangakkara. Every batsman who dons the national jersey for his side dreams of getting to the three figures mark or scoring a century against his name. While some batsmen are more suited to playing the pinch-hitting role, others have the ability to occupy the crease and score massive tons.

One of the parameters of judging a batsman’s prowess is his ability to score hundreds in different conditions. The art of scoring centuries is not everyone's cup of tea as it involves a rare combination of exquisite strokeplay, sound temperament, solid technique and clinical shot making.

The greats of the game are those who make their starts count and convert them into big scores for their sides. Batting maestro like Sachin, Lara, Ponting, De Villiers and Kohli have one thing in common. All these greats had the ability to score hundreds on a consistent basis and help their teams set up huge totals or chase down daunting targets.

So it would be interesting to compile a list of the top ten batsmen with the most centuries in ODI cricket. The list is a perfect blend of batting greats of yesteryears and some of the best batsmen in the current era.

Before we run through the list, a look at batsmen who have scored 15 or more tons in ODI cricket

India: Rohit Sharma – 19, Virender Sehwag - 15 Shikhar Dhawan - 15

Pakistan: Saeed Anwar – 20, Mohammad Yousuf -15

Australia: Mark Waugh - 18, Adam Gilchrist – 16

South Africa: Herschelle Gibbs - 21 Jacques Kallis - 17

West Indies: Brian Lara - 19, Desmond Haynes - 17

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene - 19 Upul Tharanga - 15

New Zealand: Ross Taylor - 19, Nathan Astle - 16

#10. Tillakaratne Dilshan

T Dilshan

Former Sri Lankan cricketer, Tillakaratne Dilshan was one of the most explosive openers in ODI cricket. Dilshan liked to free his arms in the power plays and got his team off to some electrifying starts in one day international cricket.

Dilshan batted with an aggressive instinct and had the shots in his armory to accelerate the scoring rate. He was the aggressor and had the ability to score hundreds once he got his eye in. He notched up over 10000 ODI runs with 22 tons in a stellar ODI career.

ODI Record

Matches 330 II Runs 10290 II Avg 39.27 II 100s 22

#9. Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly was one of the most prolific openers in ODI cricket during the late 90s and early 2000s. The left-hander was known for his majestic off-side play and ability to hit spinners for huge sixes.

The ‘Prince of Kolkata’ was a consistent run-getter for India at the top of the order. Ganguly had some heavy scoring seasons in white ball cricket and maintained a great deal of consistency all through his career.

‘Dada’ had the penchant to score big hundreds and they usually came at the ICC World Cups and Champions Trophy. Sourav had a glittering ODI career notching up over 11000 runs with 22 tons.

ODI Record

Matches 311 II Runs 11363 II Avg 41.02 II 100s 22

#8. Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle has been West Indies’ most successful opener in the limited overs format. The swashbuckling opener has etched a name for himself with his destructive batting. When on song, has plundered the best of attacks with his clinical power hitting.

The Jamaican powerhouse boasts of an impressive ODI record and is one of the select few to have scored a double hundred in the limited overs format. The self-declared 'Universal Boss' of T20 cricket has amassed over 9000 runs in ODI cricket with 23 tons to his name. He is West Indies' leading century-maker in limited overs cricket.

ODI Record

Matches 284 II Runs 9727 II Avg 37.12 II 100s 23

#7. Kumar Sangakkara

Kumara Sangakarra

Kumara Sangakkara was one of Sri Lanka's greatest batsman in one day cricket. The stylish left-hander was Sri Lanka's most dependable middle-order batsman and prolific run-getter at the peaks of his prowess.

Sangakkara had a sound technique to adapt to different conditions and used to accumulate runs in clinical fashion. He had tons of concentration to play the long innings and produce some mammoth hundreds.

'Sanga' and Mahela Jayawardene formed the backbone of the Lankan batting for over two decades. Sri Lanka’s Mr. Consistent ended his stellar ODI career with a staggering 14000 runs studded with 25 centuries.

ODI Record

Matches 404 II Runs 14234 II Avg 41.98 II 100s 25

#6. AB de Villiers

AB De Villiers

'Mr 360' of international cricket is arguably the most versatile stroke-maker of all time. AB De Villiers was a batting genius who made batting look rather effortless with his enormous range of shots.

A natural stroke-maker, De Villiers could flay the best of attacks with utter disdain and turn the course of a match in a blink of an eye. Hs scored some breathtaking hundreds to win South Africa matches on a consistent basis. His greatest moment under the sun came when he scored a stellar 31 ball ton against West Indies. The once in a lifetime cricketer ended his impressive ODI career with 25 tons.

ODI Record

Matches 228 II Runs 9577 II Avg 53.50 II 100s 25

#5. Hashim Amla

Hashim Amla

Hashim Amla has been one of most prolific run scorers in one-day international cricket. The elegant South African opener equipped with a sound technique, has amassed over 7000 ODI runs at an impressive average of nearly 50 runs per innings.

Amla has the ability to occupy the crease and play the sheet anchor’s role while building innings. He is known to put a prize on his wicket and score some big hundreds. The Proteas workhorse with one of the best conversion ratios, has scored an impressive 26 ODI tons in just 166 innings.

ODI Record

Matches 169 II Runs 7696 II Avg 49.65 II 100s 26

#4. Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya shall go down as one of the most destructive openers in ODI cricket. Sri Lankan diminutive opener's transformation from a pinch hitter to a front-line opener is one of the major success stories of ODI cricket.

Jayasuriya flayed attacks with his aggressive strokeplay and brutal power hitting. The Matra Mauler thrived on batting friendly sub-continent pitches and scored some whirlwind tons to win games for Sri Lanka.

In a career spanning almost two decades, the attacking opener brought up 28 tons to finish as the island nation’s leading century-maker in ODIs.

ODI Record

Matches 445 II Runs 13430 II Avg 32.36 II 100s 28

#3. Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting was one of the batting maestros in the first decade of the new millennium. Ponting, with his terrific hand-eye coordination and enthralling strokeplay, was hailed as one of the best players of fast bowling. He was Australia’s most dependable batsman at Number three and spearheaded a power-packed middle order during Aussies golden run in ODIs.

Ponting notched up an impressive 30 tons to become Australia’s leading century-maker in ODIs. The 'Punter' had a penchant to score massive tons and brought out his best knocks in major ICC tournaments which Australia dominated under his captaincy.

ODI Record

Matches 375 II Runs 13704 II Avg 42.03 II 100s 30

#2. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has cemented his place as arguably the best batsman in the limited overs arena. Kohli’s prodigious run-scoring ability and superlative consistency to churn out big knocks puts him in a league of his own.

Kohli has been arguably the best-run chaser in international cricket and his record while chasing is a testimony to the fact. The Indian batting lynch-pin has already racked up 35 tons in ODIs and stands second in the list of all-time century makers.

Kohli’s extended purple patch in ODIs makes him a serious contender to go past Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI tons.

ODI Record

Matches 211 II Runs 9779 II Avg 58.20 II 100s 35

#1. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar

Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar owns most of the batting records in ODI cricket. The ‘Master Blaster’ is hailed as the best batsman to have played in his generation and scored a staggering 18000 ODI runs to lead the all-time run-scoring list.

Sachin’s batting exuberated grace and class and had all the ingredients. The Mumbaikar was equally adept against spin and pace and plundered the best of bowling attacks for over two decades.

India’s greatest ever with the bat, scored a record-breaking forty-nine centuries and stands atop the list of century makers in one day cricket.

ODI Record

Matches 463 II Runs 18426 II Avg 44.83 II 100s 49