Top 3 Players who have played the most T20I matches

Over the years, the shortest form of cricket, T20 has evolved a lot. Since New Zealand and Australia played the first T20I match in 2005, the popularity of the format has gone through the roof. Although it was considered to be a young man's game initially, veteran players began to accept the format as the years progressed.

Recently, India and Bangladesh played the 1000th T20 international match. Unlike the 50-over format which took 24 years to reach this milestone, T20 cricket required only 14 years. In this article, we take a look at the three players who have played the most T20I matches.

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#3 Rohit Sharma - 99 matches

Rohit Sharma

The Indian vice-captain, Rohit Sharma stands at the third position in this list having played 99 T20I games in his 12-year career. The Mumbai-born star made his debut during the inaugural World T20 in South Africa. Recently, Rohit overtook MS Dhoni’s tally of 98 matches to become the most capped Indian player in the shortest format of the game.

The Indian opener even holds the record of scoring the most runs in T20I cricket. He has scored 2,452 runs at an average of 31.84. Besides, he has the most number of centuries in T20I cricket with four.

By slamming 219 fours and 109 sixes, the right-handed batsman has always proven to be more than a handful for bowlers to deal with.

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#2 Shahid Afridi - 99 matches

Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi was known for his aggressive brand of cricket even before the T20 format was born. The Pakistani all-rounder achieved enormous success in this format, playing 99 T20I matches for Pakistan, scoring 1,416 runs and taking 98 wickets.

The right-arm leggie had an economy rate of 6.63 in T20I cricket and he had a magnificent bowling strike rate of 22.1. Afridi played the role of the partnership breaker for Pakistan as he had the habit of taking wickets at crucial junctures.

Besides, he could even turn the momentum in his side's favour with his whirlwind knocks. The right-handed batsman had a career strike rate of 150 in T20I cricket, which showcases his destructive batting style. Although his highest score was only 54* in T20 internationals, his cameos often won the game for Pakistan.

Afridi's last T20I appearance came for the ICC World XI in 2018 where the World XI battled the West Indies team at Lord's. The veteran all-rounder, who made his T20I debut in 2006, was the captain of the ICC World XI and he took 1 wicket in his 4 overs besides scoring 11 runs off 12 deliveries.

#1 Shoaib Malik - 111 matches

Shoaib Malik

Another spin bowling all-rounder from Pakistan, Shoaib Malik holds the prestigious record of playing the most T20I matches. The Punjab-born all-rounder had featured in 111 T20I matches during his illustrious career. Malik has scored 2,263 runs through his career, apart from taking 28 wickets with his off-spin.

The right-handed batsman has scored at a decent strike rate of 124.06 at an average of 30.58. Shoaib scored 7 fifties in his T20I career with a top score of 75.

With the ball, Malik picked up 28 wickets in 46 innings at a fantastic strike rate of 19.2. The off-break bowler even made his presence felt in the field with 50 catches.

Having made his T20I debut along with Shahid Afridi, Malik’s career lasted a little longer as his final appearance for Pakistan came this past year against South Africa.

He is still playing T20 cricket in the franchise-based leagues. Since Rohit Sharma still has a lot of years of cricket left in him, he is bound to break Malik’s record sooner rather than later.