Which cricketers have played the most World Cup matches? How many World Cups did Sachin Tendulkar Play in?
Here is a quick answer: Sachin Tendulkar played 45 World Cup matches, but he is actually the second for the most World Cup matches. Ricky Ponting at 46 has played the most ODI WC matches.
Here are all the details. Keep reading.
Key Takeaways – Most World Cup Matches
- Ricky Ponting (46), Sachin Tendulkar (45), Mahela Jayawardene (40), Muttiah Muralitharan (40), and Glenn McGrath (39) have played the most World Cup matches.
- The Top 20 cricketers in this list consist of: 1 South African, 2 Indians, 3 Australians, 2 from West Indies, 3 Pakistanis, 4 from New Zealand, and 5 Sri Lankan.
- 13 of the players with the longest World Cup careers were proper batters (or keepers), 2 bowlers, and 5 all-rounders.
*Note: Shakib Al Hasan & Mushfiqur Rahim currently have played 29 World Cup matches. They have a chance to go to the Top 5-6 in this list if they play all World Cup 2023 matches (Sadly, Tamim Iqbal ends his World Cup career at 29 matches after he was controversially left out of the World Cup).
List of Cricketers with Most World Cup Matches
| Player | World Cup Matches Played |
| Ricky Ponting | 46 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 45 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 40 |
| Muttiah Muralitharan | 40 |
| Glenn McGrath | 39 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 38 |
| Wasim Akram | 38 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 37 |
| Jacques Kallis | 36 |
| Aravanda de Silva | 35 |
| Chris Gayle | 35 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq | 35 |
| Brian Lara | 34 |
| Brendon McCullum | 34 |
| Javagal Srinath | 34 |
| Stephen Fleming | 33 |
| Javed Miandad | 33 |
| Ross Taylor | 33 |
| Steve Waugh | 33 |
| Daniel Vettori | 32 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul | 31 |
| Adam Gilchrist | 31 |
| Shaun Pollock | 31 |
| Chaminda Vaas | 31 |
| Mohammad Azharuddin | 30 |
| Andy Flower | 30 |
| Arjuna Ranatunga | 30 |
| MS Dhoni | 29 |
| Ijaz Ahmed | 29 |
| Lasith Malinga | 29 |
| Eoin Morgan | 29 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim | 29 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | 29 |
| Tamim Iqbal | 29 |
Top 20 Cricketers with Most World Cup Matches
1. Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 46 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1996-2011
- World Cups Played: 5
- World Cups Won: 3 (4 Finals)
- Runs: 1743
- Catches: 28
2. Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 45 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1992-2011
- World Cups Played: 6
- World Cups Won: 1 (2 Finals)
- Runs/Wickets: 2278/8
- Catches: 12
3. Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) – 40 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1999-2015
- World Cups Played: 5
- World Cups Won: 0 (2 Finals)
- Runs/Wickets: 1100/2
- Catches: 16
4. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 40 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1996-2011
- World Cups Played: 5
- World Cups Won: 1 (3 Finals)
- Wickets: 68
- Catches: 13
5. Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 39 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1996-2007
- World Cups Played: 4
- World Cups Won: 3 (4 Finals)
- Wickets: 71
- Catches: 5
6. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) – 38 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1992-2007
- World Cups Played: 5
- World Cups Won: 1 (2 Finals0
- Runs/Wickets: 1165/27
- Catches: 18
7. Wasim Akram (Pakistan) – 38 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1987-2003
- World Cups Played: 5
- World Cups Won: 1 (2 Finals)
- Runs/Wickets: 426/55
- Catches: 8
8. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 37 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 2003-2015
- World Cups Played: 4
- World Cups Won: 0 (2 Finals)
- Runs: 1532
- Catches/Stumpings: 41/13
9. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 36 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1996-2011
- World Cups Played: 5
- World Cups Won: 0
- Runs/Wickets: 1148/21
- Catches: 13
10. Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka) – 35 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1987-2003
- World Cups Played: 5
- World Cups Won: 1
- Runs: 1064/16
- Catches: 14
11. Chris Gayle (West Indies) – 35 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 2003-2019
- World Cups Played: 5
- World Cups Won: 0
- Runs/Wickets: 1186/16
- Catches: 17
12. Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan) – 35 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1992-2007
- World Cups Played: 5
- World Cups Won: 1 (2 Finals)
- Runs: 717
- Catches: 16
13. Brian Lara (West Indies) – 34 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1992-2007
- World Cups Played: 5
- World Cups Won: 0
- Runs: 1225
- Catches: 16
14. Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) – 34 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 2003-2015
- World Cups Played: 4
- World Cups Won: 0 (1 Final)
- Runs: 742
- Catches/Stumpings: 32/2
15. Javagal Srinath (India) – 34 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1992-2003
- World Cups Played: 4
- World Cups Won: 0 (1 Final)
- Wickets: 44
- Catches: 4
16. Stephen Fleming (New Zealand) – 33 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1996-2007
- World Cups Played: 4
- World Cups Won: 0
- Runs: 1975
- Catches: 12
17. Javed Miandad (Pakistan) – 33 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 2975-1996
- World Cups Played: 6
- World Cups Won: 1
- Runs/Wickets: 1083/4
- Catches: 10
18. Ross Taylor (New Zealand) – 33 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 2007-2019
- World Cups Played: 4
- World Cups Won: 0 (2 Finals)
- Runs: 1002
- Catches: 11
19. Steve Waugh (Australia) – 33 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 1987-1999
- World Cups Played: 4
- World Cups Won: 2 (3 Finals)
- Runs/Wickets: 978/27
- Catches: 11
20. Daniel Vettori (New Zealand) – 32 CWC Matches
- Years Played: 2003-2015
- World Cups Played: 4
- World Cups Won: 0 (1 Final)
- Runs/Wickets: 167/36
- Catches: 9
Honorable Mentions:
- 31 Matches: Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Adam Gilchrist, Chaminda Vaas
- 30 Matches: Mohammad Azharuddin, Andy Flower, Arjuna Ranatunga
- 29 Matches: MS Dhoni, Ijaz Ahmed, Lasith Malinga, Eoin Morgan, Mushfiqur Rahm, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal
Final Thoughts
Longevity is the key to several positive outcomes in life.
These players have stayed at the top of the game for more than a decade. WE can just sit back and appreciate their contributions to their teams, the Cricket World Cup, and the sport of cricket in general.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Most World Cup Matches Played by Cricketers
Ricky Ponting (46), Sachin Tendulkar (45), Mahela Jayawardene (40< Muttiah Muralitharan (39), and Glenn McGrath (39) have played the most World Cup matches.
Virat Kohli has played 26 World Cup matches so far.
Other 2023 Cricket World Cup Content
If you liked reading facts about the World Cup, consider checking these articles out:
- Who was Adjudged the Man of the Match in the 2019 World Cup Final? Man of the Match in the Cricket World Cup Final (The Complete List)
- Top 29 Most Runs in a Single World Cup: Who Will Score the Most Runs in the 2023 ODI World Cup?
- Most Wickets in a Single ODI World Cup: Who Will Take the Most Wickets in the 2023 ODI World Cup?
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