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Richards, Afridi… the record record-holders in men's ODIs
As men's ODI cricket reaches its 5000th match, we take a look at the longest-standing records in the format
Yash Jha Aug 7, 2026, 4:24 PM
Sachin Tendulkar looks to the heavens after reaching the magical mark of 200 • Getty Images
Sachin Tendulkar has been the highest run-getter in men's ODIs since 2000. That's nearly half the lifespan of the format since its inception in 1971.
Rohit Sharma's 264 has been the gold standard of individual batting for 12 years now, but has anyone held the record for the highest individual score for longer?
AB de Villiers has held the record for the fastest hundred since 2015, but how far is he from Shahid Afridi's tenure at the top of the same mark?
As the 50-over format reaches a landmark 5000th ODI for the men, here's a look at the standout records that have stood the longest.
Highest team total: Sri Lanka (3710 days)
If you're a millennial, or from an earlier generation, you have probably spent a long time saying "Sri Lanka" when asked which team scored the highest ODI total.
Dawid Malan, Jos Buttler and Phil Salt all made hundreds as England got to within two runs of 500•Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
If you still do, you're right… just that it's not that one. Their 398 for 5 against Kenya in the early stages of what was a historic World Cup campaign for Sri Lanka, remained the highest total in men's ODIs for just over a decade, from March 1996 to March 2006.
Then, the mark - and the 400-barrier - was breached not once but twice during one barely believable day in Johannesburg, where Australia's 434 for 4 was surpassed by South Africa.
But less than four months later, Sri Lanka recaptured the record when they smashed 443 for 9 against Netherlands - and that record stayed for 3710 days, 52 days more than their 1996 mark.
It has been bettered three times since 2016, each time by England, with the present record set at 498 - also against Netherlands, also in Amstelveen, in 2022.
Progressive record holders for highest score in ODIs•Jiostar India Pvt Ltd
Highest individual score: Viv Richards (4738 days)
What Sri Lanka's 398 was to the team, Saeed Anwar's 194 was to the individual.
That memorable effort, against India in Chennai, remained unsurpassed for nearly 13 years (although Charles Coventry did equal it in 2009).
It took until early 2010 for the 200-run barrier to be breached by a man - that man - and while the floodgates opened thereafter, Rohit's monumental 264 versus Sri Lanka has been top of the charts for nearly 12 years now.
But the knock that has been the record for the highest individual score for the longest time is Viv Richards' epic 189 not out (in a team total of 272!) against England in 1984, giving King Viv the throne for 4738 days until Anwar took over. But unless someone breaks Rohit's 264 in the near future, he's on track to surpass Richards' record for longevity.
Chaminda Vaas' 8 for 19 in December 2001 remains the only eight-wicket haul in men's ODIs•Sena Vidanagama/AFP
Best bowling figures: Chaminda Vaas (25 years)
It's been nearly 25 years since Chaminda Vaas ripped Zimbabwe open at the SSC in December 2001: 8 for 19, having taken the first eight wickets, before Muthiah Muralidaran finished the innings with Zimbabwe 38 all out. It remains the only eight-wicket haul in the format, and Vaas' reign has now crossed 9000 days. No one comes remotely close.
A few others have held it for around 3000 days: Aaqib Javed's 7 for 37 against India (including a hat-trick capped off with Tendulkar's wicket) was on top for nine years from October 1991. Prior to Aaqib, Winston Davis had held the record since the 1983 World Cup, where he took 7 for 51 versus Australia - the first seven-wicket haul in the format.
Muthiah Muralidaran is set to remain the highest wicket-taker in ODIs for the foreseeable future•AFP/Getty Images
Most wickets: Muthiah Muralidaran (17 years)
Muralidaran and Wasim Akram remain the only men with 500-plus ODI wickets. Murali overtook Akram's mark of 502 in February 2009, and has held it since, making it 17 years at the top. Akram himself had led the table for nearly 15 years after surpassing Kapil Dev's 251-wicket tally in 1994.
Muralidaran ended his career on 534. The closest to him among active internationals is Mitchell Starc, with 247 wickets. That table-topper might stay there for decades to come.
Most runs: Sachin Tendulkar (26 years)
Tendulkar has a lot more breathing room on the top-scorers charts in ODIs than he does in Tests, still over 3000 runs ahead of Virat Kohli. He became the leading run-getter in the format in October 2000, when he went past Mohammad Azharuddin's tally of 9378 runs. That makes it more than 25 years at the top, with many more years to be added unless Kohli pulls off something truly staggering.
No one has scored a faster fifty or hundred in ODIs than AB de Villiers•Duif du Toit/Getty Images
Fastest hundred: Shahid Afridi (6298 days)
There have been 15 hundreds in fewer than 50 balls in men's ODIs, but the first of those only came 25 years into the format's inception. Sanath Jayasuriya breached the barrier with a 48-ball assault on Pakistan in April 1996, only for Afridi to smash the mark down to 37 balls six months later, against Sri Lanka.
Afridi's blaze in Nairobi remained the fastest hundred till the end of 2013, making it 6298 days as the record-holder. Corey Anderson finally broke it (by a ball) in 2014, before de Villiers mowed one down off 31 balls against West Indies in 2015, and he has held it since.
Fastest fifty: Sanath Jayasuriya (6860 days)
Jayasuriya was clearly in a tearing hurry in 1996 - and not at the World Cup alone. Five days after his 48-ball hundred, he subjected Pakistan to a 17-ball fifty, in a tournament final no less (which, if you must know, Sri Lanka lost chasing 216… go figure). That stayed as the fastest fifty in men's ODIs for nearly 19 years (6860 days) before de Villiers got there in 16 balls during his 31-ball century.
That mark was equalled by Matthew Forde versus Ireland last year, but de Villiers has held top spot for 11 years now.
Waqar Younis has held the record for most five-fors for more than 33 years•Craig Prentis/Allsport/Getty Images
Most hundreds: Sachin Tendulkar (9171 days)
In 1998, Tendulkar went past Desmond Haynes' tally of 17 hundreds and held the record for a little more than 25 years (9171 days) and 3340 ODIs. For a long, long time, it looked like no one would be able to match his 49 tons. Then, during the 2023 World Cup, Kohli equalled his record and ten days later, broke it. He's on 54 ODI hundreds, with Rohit Sharma (34) and Joe Root (20) behind him among active players.
Most five-fors: Waqar Younis (33 years)
Waqar Younis equalled Richard Hadlee's record for the most five-fors (5) in 1990 but he took another two years to break it. Since then, Waqar has held the record for a staggering 33 years and 4201 ODIs . He finished his career with 13 five-fors; among active players, Starc is the closest to his mark with nine.
Sachin TendulkarRohit SharmaAB de VilliersShahid AfridiSaeed AnwarViv RichardsChaminda VaasMuthiah MuralidaranWasim AkramVirat KohliSanath JayasuriyaScotland vs Canada
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