International Cricket Council (ICC) every year announces the ICC team of the year in the month of January. Moreover, they announces ODIs & Test Team of the year. And, the greats of the game always appears in the list of ICC. However, we will discuss about the players with most appearances in the ICC Test team of the year.

Read Also : Cricket stats: Analysis of Test batting averages of the "Fab Four"

Players with most appearances in the ICC Test team of the year :

#1. Dale Steyn | 8 appearances

The South-African fast bowler, Dale Steyn is known for his speed & swinging ability with the bowl, especially in the longest format of the game. Although the South African left Test cricket in 2019, he comes at the top of our list. Dale Steyn appears in the ICC Test team of the year in following years 2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 and 2016. Steyn is leading the chart's with total of 8 appearances with a consistency from 2008 to 2014 and 2016 later.

#2. Kumar Sangakkara | 7 appearances

The Sri-Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara comes just after Dale Steyn with 7 appearances in the longest format. Sangakkara is one of the legends of the game with a pile of runs to his name. He scores a total of 12400 runs in his career with an average of 57.14. However, Sangakkara appears in the ICC Test team of the year in following years 2006,2007,2008,2010,2011,2012,2014 & 2016.

Also Read : Most test wickets in England by Indian bowlers

#3. Jacques Kallis | 6 appearances

The former South-African cricketing giant comes at third place of most appearences in Test team of the year list. Jacques Kallis is not only a Test giant but also a ODI cricket giant for several. Kallis recorded a total of 13289 runs in Test cricket, most by any all-rounder in the game. However, he appeares total of 6 times in the list. Kallis appears in the ICC Test team of the year in following years 2004,2005,2008,2010,2011 and 2012.

Read Also : Highest batting average as captain in tests in England

#4. Stuart Broad | 5 appearances

The England pacer Stuart Broad comes at the fourth spot in the list with total of 5 appearances in the game. Moreover, Broad has a pile of wickets to his name that is count of 524 & still counting. However, he appeares total of 5 times in the list along with Cook and ABD. Broad appears in the ICC Test team of the year in following years 2009,2011,2012,2014,2015.

Alastair Cook | 5 appearances

The former English Skipper comes along with Stuart Broad and De Villers in the list. Alastair Cook also recorded most runs for England in the longer format of the game. He appeares a total of 5 times in the Test team of the year along with ABD and Stuart Broad. Cook appears in the ICC Test team of the year in following years 2011,2012,2013,2015 and 2016.

Also Read : Bowlers with best strike rates in Test Cricket

AB De Villiers | 5 appearances

AB De Villers, Mr. 360 of the game comes along with the two greats of the game. AB De Villers is one of South-Africa's game changer batsman irrespective of all formats. ABD appears total of 5 times in the list of the Test team of the year. De Villers appears in the ICC Test team of the year in following years 2009,2011,2012,2013 and 2014.

N.B : The stats are accurate as of 02/09/2021.

Harry Brook was recently named England's white-ball captain, succeeding Jos Buttler, who stepped down in February 2025 following a disappointing Champions Trophy campaign. Brook now has become the 38th ODI captain for England and 15th to be named as T20I captain of the country as well. 

Ray Illingworth was the first-ever ODI and white-ball captain of England, who was also part of the first-ever men's One-day cricket match in 1971. Mike Denness and Tony Greig followed him on the list.

Michael Vaughan was the first T20I captain of England as he led the team in the shortest format of the game for the first time in 2005. Stuart Broad and Craig Kieswetter are a few of the players who captained the team only in T20Is. In the meantime, Michael Vaughan, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, and Jos Buttler led them in both ODIs and T20Is. 

Read Also | Highest Totals in ODI cricket history

The International Cricket Council (ICC) awards the best cricketer annually with the prestigious recognition of ICC Men's Cricketer of the year.

The cricketer with the most impactful performance becomes the recipient of the honorary award. ICC started presenting this award in 2004.

Also Read: ICC Men's Cricketer of the year winners of last ten years

ICC Men's Cricketer of the year 2024

Jasprit Bumrah is named the ICC Men's Cricketer of the year 2024. He also became the first Indian pacer to win the award.

Bumrah became the 5th Indian to win the award after Rahul Dravid (2004), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Ravichandran Ashwin (2016) and Virat Kohli (2017, 2018).

The pacer also won the ICC men's Test Cricketer Of The Year award as well after being the standout performer for India during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where he picked up 32 wickets.

The Indian pacer started the year with a terrific performance against England at home before he switched his attention to the T20 World Cup. 

Bumrah ended the tournament with 15 wickets and an average of 8.26 as India defeated South Africa in the final to lift the trophy.

He was adjudged as the Player Of the Tournament for his performance.

Bumrah's performance in Tests made him really stand out from the rest of the nominees. The pacer picked up 71 wickets in 13 matches, the highest by any bowler in 2024.

Who was the first player to achieve the award?

In the year 2004, ICC introduced the award and Rahul Dravid became the first cricketer to win the ICC Men's Cricketer Of The Year.

Also Read: Full List: Indians to win ICC Cricketer of the Year Award (Men's and Women's)

ICC Men's Cricketer of the year since 2004

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be played in the hybrid model from 19 February to 9 March in Pakistan and UAE. 

During this time, the top 8 teams of the points table of the ODI World Cup will take the field with the intention of winning the title.

Also Read: ICC Men's Champions trophy winners list

When it comes to runs in any tournament, batters never disappoint and make the game blaze.

So, before the start of tournament, let's take a look at the batters with most runs in Champions Trophy history.

Most Runs in Champions Trophy | Top 5 List

1# Chris Gayle | 791 Runs

West Indies' legendary batsman Chris Gayle has the most runs in Champions Trophy history. He was one of the most blistering batters in all forms of the game.

Gayle has scored a total of 791 runs in 17 matches at an excellent average of 52.73, in which his highest score has been 133 not out. 

In this ICC tournament, he has scored 3 centuries and 1 half-century.

2# Mahela Jayawardene | 742 Runs

Sri Lankan cricket icon Mahela Jayawardene was known for his excellent batting technique and classic style. 

Jayawardene was one of the prominent players in the Sri Lankan cricket history. He has the second highest number of runs in the Champions Trophy.

In 22 matches, he has scored 742 runs at an average of 41.22 and with the help of 5 half-centuries, in which his highest score was 84 not out.

3# Shikhar Dhawan | 701 Runs

Former Indian opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan, known as 'Gabbar' across the world, is famous for his extraordinary batting technique and aggressive batting style. 

He was also known as “Mr. ICC”, thanks to his astonishing stats in ICC tournaments.

Dhawan is the top Indian and third batsman in the world to score the most runs in Champions Trophy.

During the Champion Trophy, he scored a total of 701 runs in 10 matches at an excellent average of 77.88. His highest score in the tournament was 125 runs with three centuries and half-centuries. 

Dhawan was also chosen Player of the Tournament in India's title win in 2013.

4# Kumar Sangakkara | 683 Runs

Another Sri Lankan legend, Kumar Sangakkara, is famous for his extraordinary batting skills. He is the fourth highest run scorer in the Champions Trophy. 

In this tournament, Sangakkara scored a total of 683 runs while playing 22 matches, during which his highest score was 134 not out. 

He also has 4 half-centuries and a century in his name in the tournament.

5# Sourav Ganguly | 665 Runs

India's legendary former captain Sourav Ganguly is the second Indian in the list of world's top-5 batsmen who have scored most runs in Champions Trophy. 

Fondly known as “Dada”, Ganguly was one of the elite players of off-side, that’s why he was known as “God Of Off-side”.

Ganguly played a crucial part in India’s resurgence in the limited-overs format.

During the Champions Trophy, he scored 665 runs in 13 matches, with his highest individual score in the tournament being 141 not out.

He also smashed three centuries and half-centuries in this tournament.

Its almost the end of 2024 and the entire world is set to welcome another new year. Every year, the cricket world unlocked some incredible memories. By some outstanding knocks, some of the batters made the particular year unforgettable. Across the formats, they nailed the game with their batting brilliance.

Also Read: Most Test runs in 2024: Root, Jaiswal, Duckett and more

The Sri Lankan batter Kusal Mendis shattered all the records and become the highest run scorer of 2024 across the formats. In this article, we will take a look at the other batters who have the most international runs in each calendar year since 2010.

Most international runs in each calendar year

2024 - Kusal Mendis | 1860 Runs

In 2024, the Sri Lankan batter Kusal Mendis scored the most international runs and become the highest run scorer of 2024 across the formats. In 48 matches, he scored 1860 runs with 2 centuries and 11 half centuries.

Kusal's standout performance came against New Zealand, where he hammered a brilliant 143 in an ODI and recorded his highest score in this format. With a solid batting average of 37.20, he dominated in 2024.

2023 - Shubman Gill | 2154 Runs

Shubman Gill had an incredible year in 2023, during which he finished the highest run getter across formats with 2154 runs, including 7 centuries. He also slammed the most centuries by an Indian in this decade (12), more than Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Gill has become an integral part of Indian cricket team in the past couple of years. The 25-year-old has also been elevated to a leadership role in white-ball cricket as he was named the vice captain of limited overs format after India's T20 World Cup triumph.

2022 - Babar Azam | 2598 Runs

In 2022, Babar Azam became the Pakistan batter with the most runs in all formats of the game in a calendar year. Babar scored 2598 runs in 44 matches at an average of 54.12 in that year. His haul of eight hundreds and 17 fifties during the calendar year was Babar's best of his career to date.

Babar broke more individual records in that year and ensured Pakistan's star continued to shine brightly. He was the only player to breach the 2000-run mark during the calendar year. 

2021 - Mohammad Rizwan | 1915 Runs

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan had a stunning year in 2021 with 1915 runs in 44 internationals at an average of 56.32 with two centuries. Rizwan ruled the roost in 2021 when it came to the shortest format of the game. Aggregating a staggering 1326 runs in only 29 matches, Rizwan struck at an average of 73.66 and a strike-rate of 134.89.

Apart from his exploits with the bat, he was as solid as ever behind the stumps, playing a key role in Pakistan's run to the semifinals during the T20 World Cup 2021.

2020 - Aaron Finch | 944 Runs

Former Australian limited over captain Aaron Finch scored the most international runs in 2020. He smashed 944 runs in 21 innings at an average of 47.20. He recorded 2 centuries and 6 half centuries to his name. He also scored 99 fours and 21 sixes this year.

2019 - Virat Kohli | 2455 Runs

Virat Kohli finished 2019 on a high, finishing as the leading run-getter across all formats in the year with 2,455 runs with seven centuries, including his career-high Test score of 254 not out. Kohli scored 1,377 runs in 26 ODIs, 612 runs in eight Tests and 466 runs in 10 T20Is in 2019.

2018 - Virat Kohli | 2735 Runs

Virat Kohli once again dominated a year in international cricket as a batsman. Kohli ended the year 2018 as the number-one ranked batsman in international cricket for the second-time running but more importantly, it was his team which consolidated its position at the top of the team rankings in Test cricket.

Kohli scored 2735 runs across all formats in the year with 11 hundreds but he also became the first Asian captain to register Test wins in Australia, England and South Africa in the same calendar year.

2017 - Virat Kohli | 2818 Runs

Virat Kohli finished 2017 with a staggering 2818 international runs across international formats. The India captain scored 1059 runs in 10 Tests, 1460 runs in 26 ODIs and 299 runs in 10 T20 Internationals. Kohli hammered 11 hundreds including three double centuries (one vs Bangladesh and two vs Sri Lanka). 

2016 - Virat Kohli | 2595 Runs

The year 2016 is often regarded as one of the best years for Virat Kohli due to his exceptional performances across all formats of cricket. He treated himself to 2,595 runs in 41 international innings that year to go along with 973 runs in the Indian Premier League.

Apart from that, he lead the Indian Test team to series wins against West Indies, New Zealand and England and he single-handedly powered Royal Challengers Bangalore to the final of the IPL this year.

2015 - Kane Williamson | 2692 Runs

Former New Zealand skipper, Kane Williamson had a prolific year in 2015. The Kiwi scored 2,692 runs averaging over 65. In 8 Tests, that year, he finished with 1,172 runs at an average of 90 with 5 centuries to his name.

Williamson also helped the Kiwis to reach the World Cup finals and amassed over 1,000 runs in ODIs as well.

2014 - Kumar Sangakkara | 2868 Runs

Former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara tops the charts when it comes to most runs scored in a calendar year. In 48 matches, Sangakkara scored 2,868 runs at an average of over 50.

Sangakkara made 1438 runs in 21 innings in the longest format at an average of 71.90 with the help of four centuries and eight half-centuries. Playing 28 ODIs that year, he slammed 1256 runs at an average of 46.51, again, the highest in his individual career.

2013 - AB de Villiers | 2181 Runs

Former South African skipper, AB de Villiers is regarded as one of the greatest cricketers in the history of the sport and the best batsman of his era. He had a stellar year in 2013. AB scored 2,181 runs averaging 54.52 in 45 innings of 43 matches. He also smashed seven centuries and 12 half-centuries.

2012 - Michael Clarke | 2251 Runs

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke finished 2012 with a staggering 2251 international runs across international formats in 32 innings of 26 matches at an average of 77.62. Clarke hammered 6 hundreds and 8 half-centuries.

Clarke also became the first man to score four Test double-hundreds in a calendar year as his side dominated South Africa on day one of the second Test in Adelaide.

2011 - Kumar Sangakkara | 2267 Runs

In 2011, no one else came close to the 2,267 runs Kumar Sangakkara scored in all international cricket, and he is now the only man to have topped 1,000 runs in Tests and one-day internationals in a single year on three separate occasions. 

2010 - Hashim Amla | 2307 Runs

Former South African cricketer, Hashim Amla had a prolific year in 2010. He scored 2,307 runs in that year. He also recorded his first Test double century against India in this year.

Jasprit Bumrah completed his 200 wickets in Test cricket during Australia's second innings in the Melbourne Test. Bumrah completed 200 wickets after taking Travis Head's wicket in his 44th Test. Bumrah, who made his Test debut against South Africa In 2018, completed his 200 wickets in 8484 balls, surpassing the likes of cricket greats such as Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, and Curtly Ambrose.

Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah becomes first-ever player to pick 200 Test wickets with an average below 20

In this article, we will look at the bowlers who took 200 Test wickets in the fewest balls. 

Fastest to complete 200 Test wickets

1# Waqar Younis | 7725 Balls

Former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis is the bowler to take 200 Test wickets on the fewest balls. This record still stands till date. Waqar made his Test debut in 1989 with Sachin Tendulkar. The landmark came in 1995, as Pakistan beat New Zealand in Christchurch.

Tail-ender Dion Nash was Younis’ only wicket in the match, but he only needed the one for the momentous milestone. Of course, true to form, Younis didn’t need a fielder involved in the dismissal, as he simply bowled Nash with that express pace of his.

2# Dale Steyn | 7848 Balls

Dale Steyn is counted among the best bowlers in Test history. He was at number one in the ranking for many years. Steyn had completed 200 wickets in Test on 7848 balls. With that incredible achievement, he is only the second-fastest bowler to secure 200 Test wickets in terms of the balls bowled.

In 2019, Steyn announced his retirement.

3# Kagiso Rabada | 8154 Balls

Among active bowlers, Kagiso Rabada of South Africa holds the record of taking 200 Test wickets in the fewest balls. Rabada's home situation helps the fast bowlers a lot. This is why his name being in this list is not surprising.

Making his Test debut in 2015, Rabada completed his 200 Test wickets in just 8154 balls. After dismissing Hasan Ali in a Test match against Pakistan back in 2021, Rabada achieved the feat.

4# Jasprit Bumrah | 8484 Balls

In the modern-day cricket, Jasprit Bumrah is a legend. With accuracy and incredible bowling technique, Team India’s crisis man never fails to rescue the team in tough times.

In the ongoing Test match against Australia, Bumrah turned out to be a savior in the second innings, picking up 4 wickets in just 30 runs. After dismissing Travis Head in the 34th over, Bumrah secured his 200 Test scalps in 8484 deliveries. In his 44th Test match, he secured the milestone. With that performance, he is standing in the fourth Position on the list.

5# Malcolm Marshall | 9234 Balls

When it comes to the most feared bowler in the history of cricket, the first person who comes to mind is Malcolm Marshall. In the 80s, there used to be awe of his name among the batsmen. At that time, batsmen used to take less risks but even after this, Marshall had completed 200 wickets in 9234 balls.