5 batters with most international hundreds among active cricketers
Senior New Zealand batter Kane Williamson’s twin hundreds have put his side in command in the first Test against South Africa being played at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. The Kiwis ended Day 3 of the Test with a massive lead of 528. The hosts were 179-4 at stumps in their second innings.
Sent into bat after losing the toss, New Zealand scored 511, with Williamson contributing 118 off 289, hitting 16 fours. He was involved in a massive third-wicket stand of 232 with Rachin Ravindra (240 off 366).
After South Africa were bundled out for 162 in their first innings, New Zealand continued to dominate proceedings. Williamson hit a century in the second innings as well. The former Kiwi captain scored 109 with the aid of 12 fours and a six before being stumped off Neil Brand.
With his second innings hundred, Williamson is joint-fifth on the list of batters with most international hundreds among active players. He has notched up 31 hundreds in 97 Tests and 13 in 165 ODIs. Here’s a look at the illustrious list.
#5 Steve Smith (44)
Williamson shares the fifth position with Australian run machine Steve Smith, who allso has 44 international tons in 386 innings at an average of 48.67.
The 34-year-old has played 107 Tests, scoring 9,634 runs at an excellent average of 58.03, with 32 hundreds and a best of 239. He could have had his 33rd but was stranded on 91* against West Indies in Brisbane in January 2024 as the visitors registered a historic eight-run win.
Smith has also notched up 12 tons in 158 ODIs, with a best of 164. He has scored 5,446 runs at an average of 43.91, with 33 fifties to go with his 12 centuries. The right-handed batter has a highest score of 90 in 65 T20Is.
#4 Rohit Sharma (46)
Team India captain Rohit Sharma has 46 international hundreds in 493 innings at an average of 43.14. He has 100 half-centuries to his nams across formats.
Rohit has played 56 Tests, scoring 3,827 runs at an average of 44.50, with 10 hundreds and a best of 212. The 36-year-old has an exceptional record in the one-day format, amassing 10,709 runs in 262 games, averaging 49.12, with 31 centuries.
The Indian captain has also notched up five tons in 151 T20Is, which is a record for centuries in the format. Suryakumar Yadav and Glenn Maxwell are joint-second with four each.
#3 Joe Root (46)
Like Rohit, former England Test captain Joe Root also has 46 international tons but has played fewer innings. The right-handed batter has amassed 18,883 runs in 441 innings at an average of 48.04, with 46 hundreds and 104 fifties.
Root has 30 centuries in 137 Tests, scoring 11,468 runs at an average of 49.64, and 60 half-centuries. The 33-year-old has 16 hundreds in 171 one-day games, scoring 6,522 runs at an average of 47.60.
Root doesn’t have a three-figure score in T20Is. In 32 games, he has scored 893 at an average of 35.72 and a strike rate of 126.30, with a best of 90*.
#2 David Warner (49)
Veteran Australian opener David Warner has announced his retirement from Test and ODI formats but remains part of the team’s T20I squad. The 37-year-old is second on the celebrated list, with 49 tons across three formats.
The left-handed batter ended his Test career with 26 centuries in 112 Tests, scoring 8,786 runs at an average of 44.59, with a best of 335*. In ODIs, Warner notched up 22 hundreds in 161 games at an average of 45.30, with a highest of 179.
Warner also scored a hundred in T20Is to go with his 24 half-centuries. In 99 games, the Australian has smashed 2,894 runs, averaging 32.88 at a strike rate of 141.30.
#1 Virat Kohli (80)
Team India's run machine Virat Kohli leads the illustrious list by some margin. He has smashed 80 international hundreds in international cricket, having played 522 games, amassing 26,733 runs at an average of 54.11.
Among his 80 tons, 50 have come in the one-day format, making him the first player to reach the landmark. Sachin Tendulkar (49) held the earlier record. Kohli has played 292 one-dayers, scoring 13,848 runs at an average of 58.67, with a best of 183.
In Tests, Kohli has 29 tons in 113 games. The right-handed batter has amassed 8,848 runs at an average of 49.15 in the red-ball format. The former India captain also has a T20I ton to go with his 37 fifties in 117 matches in the format.
Overall, Kohli is second on the list of players with international tons. Only Tendulkar (100) has notched up more international hundreds.