New Zealand Vs Afghanistan: T20 World Cup: Full Preview, Lineups, Pitch Report, And Dream11 Team Prediction
New Zealand vs Afghanistan: 40th match, Super 12 Group 2 of T20 World Cup 2021, Match Preview, Match details, Lineups, Head to Head stats, Dream11 Prediction. Make your Dream11 Fantasy team with our match preview, prediction
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Fantasy Cricket Dream11 Team Prediction : Dream11 Fantasy Cricket: New Zealand vs Afghanistan : 40th Match, T20 World Cup 2021 Preview
Match Details :-
Match: New Zealand vs Afghanistan – 40th Match – Super 12 Group 2 Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Date & Time: 7th November 2021 at 3:30 pm (IST) Where to Watch Live: Star Sports Network & Disney+Hotstar VIP.
Pitch Report: New Zealand vs Afghanistan: 40th Match Preview
Pitch Report: The pitch in Abu Dhabi has been a fairly sporting one. The batters have got a lot of runs, but the bowlers have also extracted quite a bit off the surface. Batting first and putting runs on the board should be the preferred option for both teams in the crunch game.
T20 World Cup Matches 1st Innings Average Score – 145 runs
T20 World Cup Matches 2nd Innings Average Score – 135 runs
Chasing team record – Won: 35, Lost: 25, Tied: 1.
T20 World Cup Fantasy League Head to Head Stats: New Zealand vs Afghanistan : 40th Match
New Zealand and Afghanistan are yet to face each other in T20Is.
The New Zealand team is just a win away to confirm their place in the Semi Final along with Pakistan in group 2. However, they are currently in good form as they won their last three games. Meanwhile, after losing their opening game against Pakistan, NZ defeated India Naminiy and Scotland so far.
They will face Afghanistan on Sunday in their final group clash against Afghanistan. They are expecting a victory as Gleen Phillips and James Neesham comes back in form along with the other players
Afghanistan is currently at the 4th spot in the group 2 points table. However, they will face New Zealand on Sunday afternoon and will look to win by a huge margin to overtook India and NZ in terms of Net Run Rate. Meanwhile, the problem is Mujeeb isn't fit till the last match and if he doesn't play then it will be hard for them to steal a win.
On the other side, Kane Williamson and his men are in great form after losing their opening game. If Afghanistan wants to win and secure their place in the semis then Rashid and Mujeeb has to do the job as they needed a win by a huge margin.
New Zealand vs Afghanistan : 40th Match : Possible Playing XI
Mohammed Shahzad (wk) Hazratullah Zazai Rahmanullah Gurbaz Gulbadin Naib Najibullah Zadran Mohammed Nabi (C) Karim Janat Rashid Khan Mujeeb ur Rahman Hamid Hasan Naveen-ul-Haq
Most maiden overs in T20Is among Test playing nations
Being able to contain some of the world’s most brutal batters to scoreless overs in the shortest format of the game is a truly remarkable feat. Let's have a look at the most maiden overs in T20Is among Test playing nations.
A maiden over, where six legitimate balls are delivered with no runs conceded, is common in the longer format of the game. But being able to contain some of the world’s most brutal batters to scoreless overs in the shortest format of the game is a truly remarkable feat.
However, a select few elite Test cricket nations players have career T20I economies of less than eight runs each and have a tally of maiden overs to their names.
Let's have a look at the most maiden overs in T20Is among Test playing nations.
Josh Hazlewood is one of the most celebrated ace speedsters in international cricket. Hazlewood stands out for his stronger impact in limited-overs cricket, he maintains a better economy rate, delivers superior best figures.
Making his debut in 2013, Hazlewood has bowled seven maiden overs in the shortest format of the game. In 55 T20I, Hazlewood has claimed 73 wickets with an average of 21.83 and an economy rate of 7.60. No fast bowler from a Test nation has claimed more T20I wickets at a better economy rate since then.
4. Tim Southee | 7
Tim Southee had a fruitful 16-year-long T20I career. The right-arm swing bowler was often New Zealand’s third or fourth bowler in the shorter format, and he delivered in spades. Southee bowled seven maiden overs in the shortest format of the game.
Southee also bagged 164 wickets in 123 innings at an average of 22.38. He delivered his best performance 5/18 against Pakistan in December 2010.
3. Mustafizur Rahman | 8
Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman has quite a few variations which have led to his success as a bowler in T20I cricket. If there is anyone who can overtake Shakib Al Hasan to become Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, it’s Mustafizur. He has bowled eight maiden overs in T20I cricket as of now, the most for Bangladesh.
Mustafizur bowls a mix of cutters and slower ones in the middle overs besides getting his yorkers right at the death. He did so at the 2016 T20 World Cup, on his way to a maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket. He finished the match with an outstanding 5/22.
However, his best performance was an unbelievable 6/10 against the USA in May 2024. He has taken 138 wickets in 109 innings at an average of 21.07 and an economy of 7.36.
2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 10
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, one of India's greatest new-ball bowlers, has delivered 10 maiden overs in the shortest format. The right-arm seamer was once a mainstay bowler for India across formats. Bhuvi made his T20I debut against Pakistan in December 2012. He bowled the 10th maiden in a T20 World Cup match against Zimbabwe on November 6, 2022.
Bhuvneshwar, who is known for his astute impeccable line and length, has picked up 90 wickets from 87 T20Is so far. His average and economy rate read 23.10 and 6.96.
Jasprit Bumrah has bowled the most maiden overs in T20Is amongst the Test playing nations bowlers. Despite being known as one of India’s greatest fast bowlers in Test cricket, Bumrah has been equally as effective in his shorter format matches.
Since 2016, Bumrah has become a fearsome aspect of his country’s pace attack due to his unorthodox short run-up and ability to swing the ball both ways. This makes it hard for many batsmen to consistently score off him.
Bumrah has sent down an impressive 12 maiden overs. In 70 T20Is, Bumrah has also struck 89 wickets while averaging 17.74 and boasting a stellar economy of 6.27.
Asia Cup 2025 will be held in UAE from 9 to 28 September. Due to T20 World Cup 2026, this time Asia Cup will also be organized in T20 format. India is being seen as the biggest contender in the Asia Cup this time.
Over the years, there have been many bowlers who have made a significant impact for their sides in the Asia Cup and are even featured in the list of highest wicket taker in Asia Cup history. Players like Muthiah Muralidaran, Lasith Malinga and many more are certified legends for their sides, and they fully deserve the status after their brilliant bowling performances over the years.
With the Asia Cup 2025 right around the corner, let's have a look at the highest wicket taker in Asia Cup history.
Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History | ODI Format
1. Muthiah Muralidaran
Muthiah Muralidaran is considered to be one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket. He has picked up 30 wickets in 24 Asia Cup matches at an economy of 3.75 and an average of 28.83. He was part of Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup titles wins in 1997, 2004 and 2008.
2. Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga is second on the list of best bowlers in Asia Cup history. He has been one of Sri Lanka's greatest pacers, especially in white-ball cricket. Malinga played in 5 editions from 2004 to 2018 and took 29 wickets at an economy of 4.65 and an average of 20.55. He finished as the highest wicket-taker in the 2010 and 2014 editions and won the Asia Cup in 2004 and 2014.
3. Ajantha Mendis
Former Sri Lanka mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis is third on the list. Mendis took 26 wickets in just 8 matches from 2008 to 2014 at an economy of 3.98 and an average of 10.42. He was the highest wicket-taker at the 2008 edition and helped Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup titles in 2008 and 2014.
4. Saeed Ajmal
Saeed Ajmal is the only non-Sri Lankan bowler in the top 5 bowlers with the most wickets in Asia Cup history. Ajmal took 25 wickets in 12 matches between 2008 and 2014 at an average of 19.25 and an economy rate of 4.21. He was part of Pakistan’s Asia Cup-winning team in 2012.
5. Ravindra Jadeja
India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja completes the top 5 list of the bowlers with most wickets in the Asia Cup. He played in the 2010 to 2023 editions of the Asia Cup so far and took 25 wickets at an average of 26.28 and an economy rate of 4.34.
Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History | T20 Format
1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
The top wicket-taker in Asia Cup T20 history is India’s pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has scalped 13 wickets in six matches at an impressive average of 9.46. The 35-year-old, who is currently not part of India’s squad, is also known for his skillful death and new ball bowling.
Bhuvi has an excellent economy rate of only 5.34 and is the only bowler to take a five-wicket haul in the shorter edition of the tournament. The right-arm medium pacer’s best figures of 5/4 — also his T20I best, came against Afghanistan in the 2022 edition of the tournament.
2. Amjad Javed
The second-highest wicket-taker of this list is Amjad Javed of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who has featured only in the 2016 edition of the tournament, where he led the team. In the only edition he played in this format, he has taken 12 wickets in seven matches at an average of 14.08.
The 45-year-old has a relatively higher economy rate of 7.34 as compared to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Javed’s best bowling figures in an innings came against Sri Lanka during the inaugural edition of the T20I format of the Asia Cup. The right-arm pacer took three wickets for 25 runs to record his best figures in the tournament.
3. Mohammad Naveed
The third-highest wicket-taker in the event’s history is also the UAE’s Mohammad Naveed, with 11 wickets to his name in seven matches. Like Amjad Javed, he made only one appearance during the 2016 Asia Cup, where his team advanced after playing qualifying rounds.
The 38-year-old has an excellent average of 13.18 with a reasonable economy rate of 5.24. Naveed’s best bowling figures of 3-14 came against Hong Kong in 2016. With his bowling performance, the UAE restricted Hong Kong to 146-7 in their 20 overs. In reply, the UAE successfully chased down the total and won by nine wickets.
4. Rashid Khan
Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid Khan has taken 161 wickets in just 96 T20Is for Afghanistan and is the leading wicket taker in T20 cricket. However, he is unlikely to be fourth on the list by his standards. He has so far taken 11 wickets despite playing eight matches, a number higher than all the top three bowlers.
The leg-spinner has an average of 18.36 and boasts a slightly higher economy rate of 6.51. His best figures of 3-22 came against Bangladesh in 2022, resulting in a thrilling victory over the Tigers.
5. Hardik Pandya
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is fifth on the list. The right-arm pacer has scalped 11 wickets in eight matches so far, with an average of 18.81 and the highest economy rate of (7.01) among the top five bowlers.
Notably, his best figures of 3-8 against arch-rivals Pakistan during the 2016 edition. Thanks to Hardik Pandya’s bowling, India bundled out Pakistan for a modest total of 83 and successfully chased it down in 15.3 overs.
Rashid Khan is the world's most successful bowler in T20 cricket. At the age of just 26, he has surpassed all the great players. However, Rashid's performance has seen a decline in the recent times.
He had a back surgery after the 2023 World Cup. Rashid has not been the same as before since his return. He took 17 or more wickets in every season of IPL between 2017 and 2023. But in the 2024 and 2025 seasons combined, he got 19 wickets. His economy and average were also the worst in these two seasons. Rashid is currently playing in The Hundred and here he bowled the most expensive spell of his career.
Leg spinner Rashid Khan is a part of Oval Invincibles. In the match against Birmingham Phoenix, he conceded 59 runs in just 20 balls. This is his most expensive spell in T20 cricket.
Along with this, no bowler has ever conceded so many runs in a single spell in The Hundred. Earlier, in IPL 2025, he gave 54 runs in 4 overs in the match against RCB. In 2023, he also conceded 54 runs in the match against KKR.
28 runs in last 5 balls
Rashid Khan conceded 28 runs on his last 5 balls. Explosive batsman Liam Livingstone hit 4 consecutive sixes after hitting a four on the first ball. Joe Clarke hit two sixes while Will Smeed hit a six.
In the match, Oval batted first and scored 180 runs for 8 wickets. Donovan Ferreira scored 63 runs in 29 balls. Birmingham won the match with two balls to spare. Livingstone scored an unbeaten 69 runs in 27 balls. Will Smeed also played an innings of 51 runs in 29 balls.
This is not the first time Liam Livingstone has thrashed Rashid Khan. He hit 5 sixes against Rashid in a match while playing for RCB in IPL 2025. His strike rate against Rashid in T20 is 200. Livingstone has scored 196 runs in 98 balls. During this, 5 fours and 21 sixes have come from his bat. Rashid has also dismissed him four times.
Most Hundreds in Test cricket among active players
With 39 test tons, Joe Root is now the player with most hundreds in test cricket among active cricketers. Steve Smith and Kane Williamson follow him on the list.
Test cricket, mostly called the purest format of the game, has seen some of the greatest cricketers and batters showing their skills with patience, stroke-making ability and the perseverance to bat long and score.
Past greats and legends like Don Bradman, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis and many others dominated test cricket during their time. But, with modern cricket kicking in, this time we will look at the list of active players with the most hundreds in test cricket.
Players with most Test centuries in cricket history
Infographic by Sportz Point
Before we talk about the current active cricketers, we should and must take a look at all the batters who dominate the overall list. As we all know, Sachin Tendulkar is the batter with most hundreds in test cricket. In fact, his record of 100 international tons might not be broken ever in cricket history.
Before Sachin broke into the scene, there was Sir Don Bradman, who had retired as the batter with the most test centuries (29), and later the little master Sunil Gavaskar broke his record and finished his career with 34 test centuries. But, do they come in the list of players with the most test centuries? Let's take a look at that.
So, sadly, one of the greatest cricketers in cricket history, Sir Don Bradman, does not even come in the top 10 batters with the most test tons in cricket history. Interestingly, only Joe Root is the active cricketer on that list. Hence, you already know who the active cricketer with the most test tons is: Joe Root.
Most Test Centuries by active cricketers
#10. Ben Stokes | 13
Regarded as one of the best test cricketers of the 2010s and 2020s, Ben Stokes is perhaps the greatest match-winner of modern cricket. The southpaw batter is as lethal with the bat in the lower middle order and can change his gear with regard to the needs of the game.
Not only that, his skill to bat with the tail and chase nearly impossible totals in the last inning is quite remarkable.
Stokes has 13 test centuries against his name in 113 test matches for the Three Lions. His 258 in just 198 balls against South Africa in Cape Town saw him make the fastest test double century by any English cricketer. That is also the highest test score by a batter batting at number six.
And, yes, who can forget his immortal innings of 135 at Edgbaston in the 2019 Ashes Test, where he single-handedly achieved England's highest successful run chase in Tests, with Jack Leach at the other end.
#9 Tom Latham | 13
Tom Latham, the Kiwi opener, is surely one of the best top-order batters of this generation. Although he has always been in the shadow of Kane Williamson, Latham has contributed well to his country since his test debut in 2014. In the last ten years, Latham has played 81 test matches and scored 5516 test runs so far, including 13 test centuries, which places him at number nine in this list.
Latham's unbeaten 264 against Sri Lanka in Wellington in 2018 is the highest score by any opener while carrying his bat. Not only that, he is only the second Kiwi cricketer to carry his bat in test cricket.
Latham is currently the vice-captain of the test team and one of the reasons for New Zealand's success in recent years.
#8. Mominul Haque | 13
He might be the most surprising name on this list of active players with most hundreds in test cricket.
Mominul Haque, the stylish and gritty test batter from Bangladesh, is at No. 8 on this list with 13 test tons. The top-order batter started his test career with a record-breaking 181 against Sri Lanka, which is the highest debut score by any Bangladeshi batter.
Since then, he has been one of the pillars of the Bangladeshi batting lineup in tests. From 2013 to 2017, Haque averaged over 50 with the bat, which dropped to below 40 post-2022.
He is one of only six batters, including the likes of Don Bradman, Kumar Sangakkara and Jacques Kallis, to score seven test tons at a single venue; Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
#7 Usman Khawaja | 16
Another top-order batter in the list of active players with most test hundreds, who has made tons of runs in the last few years for Australia. Usman, who was born in Pakistan and later moved to Australia as a young kid, made his test debut in 2011, replacing the great Ricky Ponting at number.
At that time, he became the first Muslim cricketer to play for Australia. Despite a decent debut match, Khawaja was never given a long run and kept losing his spot in the team.
In 2015-16, he made another solid return to the test squad, but his failure in away tests always kept him in and out of the team. But, after his comeback with two tons in a single test match in 2022 against England in Sydney, Khwaja has emerged as one of the best batters for Australia. His move at the top of the order has also helped him regain his lost confidence at the international level.
Post a stunning 2023, where he scored 1210runs in 13 test matches at 52.60, Khawaja won the 2023 ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award.
In 80 test matches so far, Khawaja has scored 5930 test runs, including 16 test tons and 27 fifty-plus scores. He is also the sixth-highest run-scorer (3251) in the World Test Championship's history, despite playing only 42 matches.
#6 Dimuth Karunaratne | 16
Dimuth Karunaratne has been one of the greatest modern-day batters for Sri Lanka in recent years. The Sri Lankan batter is sixth in our list of active players with most hundreds in test cricket.
The opening batter comes from the same St Joseph's College, which produced players like Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera. Dimuth debuted for Sri Lanka in tests in 2012 and gradually cemented his place in the team despite a duck in his debut inning.
In 2014, he scored his debut hundred against New Zealand in Christchurch and has scored 15 more in his test career since then. Three years later, he missed his first double ton by four runs when he played an outstanding knock of 196 against Pakistan in Dubai. In 2021, he scored hundreds in three back-to-back test matches, and one of them was a 244 against Bangladesh, his best in test cricket.
Another Sri Lankan in the list of active batters with the most test centuries prove why, despite not being considered a force, they have done well in recent times. Dinesh Chandimal, one of the most underrated cricketers going around, has climbed up in the list with a stunning hundred (116) against New Zealand at Galle.
Chandimal, just like Angelo Mathews, emerged on the scene as one of the best talents in the country and became a mainstay in the middle order after the retirement of the legendary Sangakkara-Jayawardene pair. At 23, he was chosen as the T20I captain and as Mathews' deputy in tests.
In 2013, Dinesh scored back-to-back centuries against Bangladesh and then played an unbeaten 162 against India in 2015 to nearly drag Sri Lanka to a win from an impossible position. His 164 against India in Delhi in 2017 was one of his remarkable innings after leading Sri Lanka to a 2-0 victory against Pakistan, away from home.
However, after that, he could not keep his form, and it wasn't until 2022 that he came back to his best with an unbeaten 206 against Australia at Galle to deny the mighty Aussies a test series win.
Till now, Chandimal has scored 16 test centuries in 88 test matches and looks like a strong candidate to be the first one to reach 20 test centuries among the active Sri Lankan cricketers.
#4. Cheteshwar Pujara | 19
Although he has not been a part of the Indian test team since 2023, Cheteshwar Pujara is still an active test cricketer. The modern wall of Indian cricket, who was among one of the rarest batters in this counterattacking generation to tire the bowlers down and play a whole day of test cricket, without giving it a second thought.
Pujara's temperament was one of the main reasons why he was called up for the national team in 2010. After a very impressive 72 against Australia on debut, it was only a matter of time before Pujara became a mainstay of the Indian team.
Soon, he became the joint-fastest Indian to 1000 Test runs, and quickly he became the new Wall of Indian cricket. Till now, in 103 test matches, Pujara has scored 7195, including 19 centuries.
Recent drop in form has kept in out of the Indian team, but his love for the game has kept him going at the domestic level. Pujara is one of the 13 players in test cricket history to bat in each day of a five-day test match.
Although Pujara has not played a test match for a long time, since he has not retired, he is fourth on our list of active players with most hundreds in test cricket.
Kane Williamson has been the best Kiwi cricketer of the last two decades, and even the great Martin Crowe believed that he would finish as the greatest batter from New Zealand.
Debuted in 2010, Kane scored a ton against India in Ahmedabad and since then, has never had to look back. 24 years and 151 days old, Kane then became the youngest New Zealand cricketer to score 3000 test runs. In 2015, Kane hit his first double ton against Sri Lanka in Wellington and since then has scored five more test double tons.
As a leader, Kane in 2018 became the fourth Kiwi captain to win a test series in England, followed by a first-ever series triumph against Pakistan, away from home.
Williamson, with 9276 test runs, is the player with the most test runs for New Zealand. He also holds the record for most test centuries scored by a Kiwi batter (33). He is also the quickest batter in test history (by innings) to reach 33 test tons.
Moreover, Williamson was also the first-ever Kiwi captain to lead them to an ICC trophy success when he led them to the WTC title in 2021 against India. The former Kiwi captain is also New Zealand's highest run-getter in WTC history with 2822 runs at 61.34 average and 11 test tons.
#2 Steve Smith | 36
After starting as a leg spinner in 2010, Steve Smith's journey to become one of the greatest test batters for Australia is quite remarkable. Despite getting banned for 12 months due to the ball-tampering scandal in 2018, Smith made a great comeback to test cricket and has scored 9 test centuries since 2019.
Smith scored his first century in 2013 against England at the Oval and scored three more in his next six matches. Before he was made the captain in 2015, he was already the No.1 ranked test batter in the world, scoring seven centuries in 17 test matches in 2014-15, including centuries in four consecutive test matches.
In 2017, he scored six test tons, including a double ton in just 11 test matches to win his second ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award second time, after winning it in 2015.
Though in the past few years, bowlers have found some ways to stop him from scoring runs with his unorthodox style, he scored five centuries in 13 innings from July 2022 to June 2023.
In 2024, Smith scored two consecutive test centuries in the Australia vs India Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. With 36 test tons in just 118 tests, he is now the player with the second most hundreds in test cricket among active cricketers.
#1 Joe Root | 39
2021 Test Cricketer of the Year, nominated again in 2023 for the same award, most runs and tons in World Test Championship history, most test runs by any English batter, most test tons by any English batter; these are the few achievements Joe Root made in the last seven years.
The youngest of the "fav four", Root debuted in 2012 on England's tour to India and impressed with a 73 from 229 balls, and everyone saw his ability to stay at the crease and play long.
Five tests later, he scored his first test hundred in England against New Zealand in 2013. Two tests later, he followed that up with a 180 against Australia at Lord's.
Before he was made the captain in 2017, he had already played 53 test matches in five years with a batting average of over 50. 190 in the first inning as test captain, and all knew he would go on to break all the records for England. Root finished 2017 with 1481 for England despite scoring only two tons.
The story continued the same way for him in the following year, as despite scoring lots of fifty-plus scores, Root could score only two test tons as England struggled in tests as a team.
But, everything changed for him in 2021 as he started the year with one century and one double century in the first three tests. Another back-to-back hundred against India at home would mean he would go on to win the 2021 ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Award.
Root that year nearly broke the record of the most test runs scored in a calendar year with 1708 test runs, missing the record by 80 runs.
Since the start of 2022, Root has scored 16 test tons, scoring 4012 test runs at an average of 54.95. In WTC, he is the highest run scorer with6080 runsat an average of 52.86 and 21 centuries.
With 39 test tons, Joe Root is now the player with most hundreds in test cricket among active cricketers.
With his latest century against India at the Oval during the fifth test of the series, Joe Root has now climbed up to no. 4 position in the list of most test centuries in cricket history.
The battle of supremacy in Test centuries has come a long way in cricket history. Some early established test records, defined by batting greatness, are nearly impossible to imagine being surpassed. The record for most test centuries in cricket history is one of them.
This prestigious list consists of legendary batters around the globe who have shaped the golden era of test cricket with their run-scoring consistency and centuries.
Discover the complete list of players with the most test centuries in cricket history and embrace their legacies.
Most Test Centuries in Cricket History
1. Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 51 centuries
Sachin Tendulkar celebrates his 30th Test century in 2002. Image | ESPNcricinfo
The 'Little Master' Sachin Tendulkar stands right at the top with 51 test centuries in his career, spanning from 1989 to 2013. His career was a saga of brilliance against every bowling attack in every condition.
From being the youngest Indian to score a Test century at the age of 17 years and 109 days in 1990, to ending up having the most test centuries in cricket history, Tendulkar has achieved it all!
He has consistently scored tons, becoming the first and only player to ever cross the fifty-mark in test centuries. These numbers let us believe that maybe some records can never be broken.
Jacques Kallis celebrates his 40th test century in 2011. Image | Mint
The legendary all-rounder, Jacques Kallis, graced the longest format from 1995 to 2013, amassing 45 test centuries. He is the only South African to feature at the top of this list and to have scored more than 30 test centuries.
Apart from personal milestones, his hundreds were often foundational blocks for South Africa's innings in the game. He provided the key balance the team needed, contributing to secure a win or draw.
3. Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 41 centuries
Ricky Ponting celebrates his 40th test century against India in 2012. Image | Pinterest
Ricky Ponting, the former Australian captain, led Australia through a golden era, scoring 41 centuries between 1995 to 2012. Known for his aggressive yet classy style, he thrived especially in big matches, putting the opposition under pressure.
One of the memorable moments in his century collection is the twin centuries during his 100th test match against South Africa in Sydney. This came in 2006, where Ponting scored back-to-back 120 and 142* in two innings.
He is the 3rd batter to go 40+ in the list of most test centuries in cricket history.
He reached his 39th test century against India at the Oval, during the 5th test of their Anderson-Tendulkar series. Root is currently the World's No. 1 in the ICC Test batter rankings, and the only player in the top 5 of this list who has not yet retired.
Root's fiery form is a clear indication of him soaring higher in all charts of test cricket records, setting the standards for generations to come.
Kumar Sangakkara celebrates his first century at the Lord's Cricket Ground in 2014. Image | Sky Sports
The Sri Lankan batting maestro, Kumar Sangakkara, is a perfect example of elegance and power blended together. His ability to score big placed him in the top 5 of most test centuries in cricket history.
Sangakkara scored 38 test centuries from 2000 to 2015. One of his defining moments in his career was his 287 runs against South Africa in 2006. This knock was a part of the record-breaking partnership of 624 runs with his teammate, Mahela Jayawardene.
Most Test Centuries in Cricket History (TOP 20)
3️⃣8️⃣
Joe Root scores his 38th test ton, equalling Kumar Sangakkara's record. 💯
He now has the 4th most centuries in test cricket history.
Here's the tabular breakdown of the Top 20 players having the most test centuries in cricket history, featuring 6 players from Australia, 4 from India, and several other cricketing nations.
Rank
Player
Country
Test centuries
1
Sachin Tendulkar
India
51
2
Jacques Kallis
South Africa
45
3
Ricky Ponting
Australia
41
4
Joe Root
England
39
5
Kumar Sangakkara
Sri Lanka
38
6
Steve Smith
Australia
36
7
Rahul Dravid
India
36
8
Younis Khan
Pakistan
34
9
Sunil Gavaskar
India
34
10
Brian Lara
West Indies
34
11
Mahela Jayawardene
Sri Lanka
34
12
Kane Williamson
New Zealand
33
13
Alastair Cook
England
33
14
Steve Waugh
Australia
32
15
Matthew Hayden
Australia
30
16
Virat Kohli
India
30
17
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
West Indies
30
18
Dom Bradman
Australia
29
19
Michael Clarke
Australia
28
20
Hashim Amla
South Africa
28
Note: Article was first written by Snighda Halder on 26th July, 2025 and later got updated by the editorial team.
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