Ranking cricketers across eras is a fool’s errand. I’ve done it over and over again anyway, and this time, it took six months.

Earlier this year, Cricinfo released its Top 25 Men’s International Cricketers of the 21st Century, and it sparked plenty of debate. Rightly so.

Jacques Kallis came in at No. 1, and Ricky Ponting once called him “the greatest cricketer that has ever played.” Hard to argue, but was he the most impactful of the century?

Since 2000, should Kohli have ranked above Tendulkar?

Where were Glenn McGrath, Shakib Al Hasan, Ross Taylor, Alastair Cook, Rohit Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Hashim Amla, and Ravindra Jadeja? Or any Pakistani player?

These questions wouldn’t leave me alone, so I decided to make my own. Twenty-five spots was never going to be enough. To fit every match-winner of the 21st century, I needed a hundred: the BCD 100.

Key Takeaways

• In the BCD 100, Australia (21) has the most players, followed by India (19), South Africa (14), England (12), Sri Lanka (9), New Zealand (8), West Indies (5), Bangladesh (2), and Afghanistan (1). Pakistan, which had no players in Cricinfo’s top 25, has nine.
• Jimmy Anderson (991 wickets), Muttiah Muralidaran (943), Stuart Broad (847), Mitchell Starc (777), and Tim Southee (776) have taken the most wickets across formats this century.
• Virat Kohli leads the run-scorers over the same period with 28,527 runs, followed by Kumar Sangakkara (28,016), Mahela Jayawardene (24,182), Joe Root (23,074), and Ricky Ponting (22,183).

Table of Contents

• Honorable Mentions
• 81-100: Unforgettable Careers
• 61-80: The Stalwarts
• 41-60: Box Office
• 21-40: World Beaters
• 1-20: Absolute Legends
• Final Thoughts
• Others Considered
• Appendix
  • Stats after 2000
  • ICC records post 2000
  • Sources

Why Six Months?

I wanted the list to tell the story of the century: Australia’s Test and World Cup dominance, India’s 25 years of consistency, Sri Lanka’s four finals in six years, South Africa’s golden generations, Pakistan’s titles in 2009 and 2017, New Zealand’s habit of reaching ICC knockouts, the West Indies’ two T20 titles, and England’s white-ball revolution.

And there was a lot to consider: 6 ODI World Cups, 10 T20 World Cups, 8 Champions Trophies, 3 WTC finals, and dozens of Ashes, Border-Gavaskar, and other memorable Test series.

How I Ranked the Players

I only considered men’s international performances from January 1, 2000, through October 19, 2026, regardless of when a player debuted. Tendulkar’s Desert Storm in Sharjah? Doesn’t count. Jayasuriya’s 1996 heroics? Out of the window.

I started by brainstorming the first 150-plus names that came to mind. Then I went through the stats in every format, along with the winners, finalists, and players of the tournament from every ICC event.

After I had my first draft, I scored each player out of 100 and argued my way down the list in several rounds: trimming my top 25 to 15, weighing the new 16-25 against 26-40, and so on. Along the way, I remembered a few players I’d forgotten, so I kept adding to the list.

Altogether, 227 players were considered for this list.

The 100-Point System

In Tests, I weighed the full record alongside major series performances at home and away. In ODIs, the World Cup and Champions Trophy mattered as much as the career stats. In T20Is, World Cup performances carried more weight than bilateral series. And a great career in one format could make a strong case on its own.

Category	Max points	What I looked for
Career quality	25	How good the overall record was for the player’s role, format and era. Wicketkeeping and all-round contributions count here.
Match impact	20	How often and how decisively the player changed the course of a match.
Big-stage impact	20	What the player did in ODI and T20 World Cups, the Champions Trophy, the World Test Championship final and major Test series.
Peak	15	How good the player was at their best over a sustained stretch.
Longevity	10	How many years the player kept contributing at a high level.
Across conditions	7	How well the player adapted to different pitches, venues and opposition.
Leadership bonus	3	What the player added through captaincy or sustained leadership.
Total	100

Each player’s card shows their breakdown under How the points add up.

*This section will only include player stats since January 1, 2000.

Debates

Where scores tied, I made a head-to-head call.

Some debates took longer than others: Sehwag vs Warner vs Gayle (in the end, all three made the top 25). Tahir vs Rashid Khan vs Adil Rashid vs Ish Sodhi vs Zampa vs Yasir Shah (only one made the top 100). The Test batters stuck between 8,000 and 10,000 runs: Pietersen, Clarke, Amla, Graeme Smith, Sehwag, and Hayden.

There were many more like these.

Cricinfo’s list came from a 25-member jury. Mine came from six months of arguing with myself. And just when I thought I was done, I spent another month breaking it and putting it back together.

The goal was simple: no cricketer with a real claim gets left out.

Let’s begin.

Also Read: Other BCD Lists

Greats Whose Best Years Came Before 2000

These players all played into the 2000s and most of their best cricket came before the turn of the century. What was left wasn’t enough to make the cut.

• Saeed Anwar, Michael Bevan, Steve Waugh, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Aravinda de Silva, Jonty Rhodes, Grant Flower, Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, Allan Donald, Marvan Atapattu

Future Stars

These players are not considered either but in a future 21st century list, they may make their way in.

• Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Blessing Muzarabani, Glenn Phillips, Jayden Seales, Kyle Jamieson, Marco Jansen, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nahid Rana, Rachin Ravindra, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sanju Samson, Shamar Joseph, Tilak Varma, Towhid Hridoy, Wanindu Hasaranga, Wiaan Mulder, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mahli Beardman, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Honorable Mentions (101-130)

• 111-130: Jason Roy, Adil Rashid, Azhar Ali, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dean Elgar, Chris Woakes, Ishant Sharma, Sunil Narine, Shubman Gill*, Martin Guptill, Tamim Iqbal, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shai Hope*, Harry Brook*, Nathan Astle, Matt Henry, Yasir Shah, Brendan Taylor, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Imran Tahir

*May still rise up the list by the end of their careers.

101-110: Those Who Just Missed out

• 110. Hardik Pandya*: Defended 16 off the final over in the 2024 T20 World Cup final and made the 2026 Team of the Tournament.
• 109. Marlon Samuels: Player of the final in two T20 World Cup finals deserves a shoutout.
• 108. Andy Flower: Made 232* at Nagpur and scores of 142 and 199* in the same Test against South Africa. Averaged 80.38 in 2000 and 89.90 in 2001 in Test cricket.
• 107. Adam Zampa: Took 13 wickets in Australia’s 2021 T20 World Cup win and 23 in its 2023 ODI World Cup win.
• 106. Jonny Bairstow: Without Bairstow, there is no ODI World Cup win. Without Bairstow, there is no Bazball.
• 105. Rishabh Pant*: His 159* at Sydney in 2019 showed what he could do in Australia, and his unbeaten 89 at the Gabba two years later won India the series.
• 104. Justin Langer: Langer turned grit into an art form. Alongside Matthew Hayden, he gave Australia a stubborn, durable opening partnership.
• 103. Stephen Fleming: A calm, inventive kind of leadership who made New Zealand believe it could take on anyone.
• 102. Faf du Plessis: Du Plessis announced himself with a defiant fourth-innings hundred on Test debut in Adelaide and carried that same nerve into his captaincy.
• 101. Umar Gul: Gul taught the world death bowling in T20 cricket. One of the key performers in 2007 & 2009 T20 World Cups.

The Greatest 100 Men’s Cricketers of the Century

Congratulations, you made it. There are several videos and scorecards to relive the moments.

Enjoy.

81-100: Unforgettable Careers

This was the hardest section to rank. Several players just outside the top 100 had a case as strong as those who made the cut. Some were brilliant for only a couple of seasons, while others made their name perfecting a very specific role. Either way, these players had memorable careers that we shall never forget.

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100. Mohammad Asif (2005-2010, Pakistan)

Asif was magic. He could make the ball talk. The swing king. If you ask any of his contemporaries, they all had high regard for Asif. If it wasn’t for the 2010 spot fixing scandal, he would be closer to the Top 10 rather than the 100.

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99. Ian Bell (2004-2015, England)

One of the most majestic cover drivers of the century, Ian Bell was part of the core group in England’s rise in Test cricket. With 22 Test centuries, 118 Tests, and over 13,000 international runs, Bell just makes it into our Top 100.

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98. Neil Wagner (2012-2024, New Zealand)

There will probably never be a fourth-innings bowler like Neil Wagner. He would bowl his heart out, even with a broken toe if he had to. He famously said, ‘Unless they carry me off a stretcher, I’m going to try and do everything I can.’ I will never forget his battles against Matthew Wade and Steve Smith.

Also Read: They Don’t Make Warriors like Neil Wagner Anymore

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97. Kemar Roach (2008-, West Indies)

Kemar Roach has been one of West Indies’ shining lights in an era where we began to wonder if Test cricket would survive in the region. First West Indian to take a World Cup hat-trick, Roach is now also the 5th highest wicket-taker for the West Indies in Test cricket.

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96. Mushfiqur Rahim (2005-2026, Bangladesh)

Part of the core group that took Bangladesh to the next level in international cricket, Mushfiqur will be remembered for his 56* against India in the 2007 ODI World Cup, Test match double centuries, wicket keeping, and the many rescue acts in the middle order. First Bangladeshi player to score 7000 Test runs.

Also Read: Why Shakib And Co are the True Fab 5 of this Era

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95. Shane Bond (2001-2010, New Zealand)

One of the biggest what-ifs in world cricket this century had his body held up. Although Bond ended with only 87 Test wickets and 147 ODI wickets, he was one of the fiercest bowlers of the early 2000s. He will always be remembered for his memorable spells and that beautiful action.

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94. Misbah-ul-Haq (2001-2017, Pakistan)

Misbah’s name will forever be etched in Pakistan cricket for his leadership after Pakistan cricket hit rock bottom between 2009-2010. Having to play all their home games in the UAE without key players, Misbah steadily brought Pakistan back to #1 in Test rankings and retired with a glorious win against the West Indies. Often remembered for occupying the crease and batting at a ‘Tuk tuk’ pace, he could switch gears as seen in the 2007 T20 World Cup, hit a record 56-ball Test hundred, and even do push-ups at Lord’s.

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93. Gautam Gambhir (2003-2016, India)

Between 2007-2011, Gambhir was one of top openers in world cricket and won the ICC Test Player of the Year in 2009. With 75 in 2007 T20 World Cup final, 137 vs NZ at Napier batting 643 minutes, and 97 in the ODI World Cup final, Gambhir stood up under pressure whenever India needed him the most.

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92. Dwayne Bravo (2004-2021, West Indies)

From the 2004 Champions Trophy till the 2020s, Dwayne Bravo was the face of West Indies cricket alongside Chris Gayle. With over 300 international wickets, 5000 runs, and two T20 World Cup wins, DJ Bravo was a true champion. Although we are not considering franchise cricket, Bravo’s impact at the T20 level was another level with 631 T20 wickets and multiple championships.

Also Read: 41 Greatest IPL Cricketers Ever

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91. Damien Martyn (1992-2006, Australia)

Martyn’s best batting looked almost effortless. He was a key part of Australia’s rise in the early 2000s.

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90. Vernon Philander (2007-2020, South Africa)

Philander showed how much damage accuracy can do. At an average of 22.32 and strike rate of 50.80, he took international cricket by force. Perfect foil for Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn.

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89. David Miller (2010-, South Africa)

If it was ‘Killer Miller’ time, you would just drop everything and watch Miller hit it out of the park. One of the great modern-day ODI finishers, Miller always saved his best against Australia: 142 (93) in 2026 pink-day match, 139 (108) in 2018, 118*(79) in 2016, and 101 (116) in the 2023 World Cup semi-final. Not to forget his 49 (18) against NZ in the heartbreaking semi-final.

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88. Usman Khawaja (2011-2026, Australia)

One of my favorite players of the last decade, Khawaja stood for resilience. His defining moment came in the UAE in 2018 when he batted for days in the heat. Much like Strauss, Australia has yet to find a consistent opener since Khawaja’s retirement.

Also Read: ICC Legalizes Ball Tampering, Releases Official Guidelines for Responsible Use (Satire)

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87. Shoaib Akhtar (1997-2011, Pakistan)

Along with Brett Lee, Shoaib Akhtar sent fear down the spine for an entire generation. He would bowl mean bouncers and stump breaking yorkers. 178 Test wickets and just 46 Tests does not reflect Shoaib Akhtar’s potential, one of Pakistan’s all-time greats.

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86. Shikhar Dhawan (2010-2022, India)

Between 2013-2019, there was something soothing about India’s Top Order. If Shikhar doesn’t get you, Rohit will. And if Rohit won’t, Kohli definitely will. Shikhar Dhawan always stood up in the ICC tournaments, the 2013 and 2017 Champions Trophy, the 2015 ODI World Cup, and even in the 2019 ODI World Cup, where he scored a hundred with an injury against Australia before he had to sit out.

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85. Saeed Ajmal (2008-2015, Pakistan)

Nobody could pick Ajmal at his peak: 89 wickets at a bowling average of 21.13 in 2011, 95 wickets at 19.45 (2012), and 111 wickets at 22.97 (2013). Unfortunately, questions over his action truncated his career.

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84. Graeme Swann (2000-2013, England)

Graeme Swann brought control, personality, and wickets to the side that won the 2009 and 2010–11 Ashes. In the age of declining off spinners, he kept the art alive.

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83. Herschelle Gibbs (1996-2010, South Africa)

Herschelle Gibbs could turn a match into a blur of boundaries. He might have infamously dropped the 1999 World Cup, but his knock 175 in the famous 438 game against Australia took him to the next level. Also, don’t forget the six sixes in the 2007 ODI World Cup vs Netherlands.

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82. Morne Morkel (2006-2018, South Africa)

Morkel’s height gave him bounce, but his real strength was the relentless pressure he built over a spell. He was a key part of one of South Africa’s finest fast-bowling generations.

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81. Babar Azam (2015-, Pakistan)

Babar Azam has probably not touched the heights many expected him to touch. Still, he has already surpassed many that came before him in ODI cricket. The 2019 ODI World Cup and the Test series are some of the highlights in his career. Hope he rises up the list.

61-80: The Stalwarts

Several players in this section played only part of their careers in the century or had peaks only in one format. They were match-winners nevertheless.

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80. Andrew Strauss (2003-2012, England)

It’s been 14 years since he retired, but England are yet to find his replacement. That is his lasting legacy. My favorite memory of Strauss though was in ODIs with the 158 in that tied World Cup match against India in 2011. Also led England to the 2010-11 Ashes win in Australia.

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79. Mark Boucher (1997-2012, South Africa)

Boucher’s career was built on the hard, often unseen work behind the stumps and on a fierce refusal to give away a run or a chance. At 998 dismissals, Boucher has the most dismissals of all time, 796 coming in this century.

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78. Quinton de Kock (2012-, South Africa)

De Kock brought a wicketkeeper’s sharpness and an opener’s appetite together in one player. His opening series against India was one for the ages.

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77. Cheteshwar Pujara (2010-2023, India)

Pujara made Australia earn every wicket in those long tours of 2018–19 and 2020–21. He stood in the way, took the blows, and kept batting until the match began to turn India’s way.

Also Read: Watching Pujara Bat Was Poetry in Motion. Quietly Unforgettable, Pujara Retires

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76. Eoin Morgan (2006-2022, England)

Morgan changed what England thought was possible in one-day cricket. He led the team from its painful 2015 World Cup exit to the 2019 title. Hit a world record of sixes against Afghanistan.

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75. Andrew Symonds (1998-2009, Australia)

Symonds was the kind of allrounder every team wants: powerful with the bat, useful with the ball, and extraordinary in the field. His contribution in the 2003 ODI World Cup showed his significance to that Australian side.

Also Read: Top 32 Best Fielders in Cricket History

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74. Makhaya Ntini (1998-2011, South Africa)

Ntini bowled with a boundless energy that seemed to lift the whole team. He became a trailblazer for South African cricket and a fast bowler batters could never relax against.

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73. Glenn Maxwell (2012-2026, Australia)

Part of the 2015 ODI World Cup, 2021 T20 WC, and 2023 ODI WC winning squads, Glenn Maxwell was the game-changing all-rounder Australia always bet upon. He was a pioneer in T20 cricket with 5 T20 centuries and his reverse scoops. Without his 201* against Afghanistan hobbling on one leg, Australia does not win the 2023 World Cup. Possibly the greatest ODI innings of all-time.

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72. Inzamam-ul-Haq (1991-2007, Pakistan)

Inzamam could make the most pressured innings look unhurried. He had the touch to find gaps, the strength to clear the rope, and the presence to anchor Pakistan’s middle order.

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71. Rashid Khan (2015-, Afghanistan)

With 237 ODI wickets and 200 T20I wickets, Rashid Khan is this generation’s premier leg-spinner.

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70. Chaminda Vaas (1994-2009, Sri Lanka)

Vaas made the first few overs count. His swing and accuracy gave Sri Lanka early breakthroughs, and he remained a dependable presence through several World Cup campaigns. Took a first-over hat-trick in the 2003 WC against Bangladesh.

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69. Michael Hussey (2004-2013, Australia)

Hussey arrived late and made every season count. “Mr Cricket” could steady an innings, finish one, or rescue a match. His knock against Saeed Ajmal in the 2010 T20 WC was one for the ages.

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68. Angelo Mathews (2008-2025, Sri Lanka)

Often misunderstood off the pitch, Mathews spent much of his career being the person Sri Lanka needed in the middle. He could bat through a crisis, offer a useful seam spell, and lead with a cool head.

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67. Zaheer Khan (2000-2014, India)

Zaheer was India’s left-arm answer to every kind of surface. He led the attack through the 2011 World Cup and could make the old ball swing when a match most needed a breakthrough.

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66. Sanath Jayasuriya (1989-2011, Sri Lanka)

Jayasuriya brought a rare combination of opening-batter aggression and genuine left-arm spin. Even as the game changed around him, he kept finding ways to shape it.

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65. Anil Kumble (1990-2008, India)

Kumble made persistence look like a skill of its own. He gave India control through long spells, led with quiet authority, and was the sort of bowler teammates trusted when a match was on the line.

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64. Daniel Vettori (1997-2015, New Zealand)

Vettori was more than a left-arm spinner: he was a thinker, a captain, and a genuine lower-order batter. He gave New Zealand control and balance for nearly two decades.

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63. Andrew Flintoff (1998-2009, England)

Flintoff’s 2005 Ashes series became one of cricket’s defining modern stories. He bowled with fire, batted with courage, and made England believe that Australia could be beaten.

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62. Harbhajan Singh (1998-2016, India)

If you grew up in an Indian household, chances are you probably copied Harbhajan Singh’s action at some point in your childhood. Harbhajan’s spell in the 2001 series against Australia announced a new force in Indian cricket. He bowled with aggression, personality, and the belief that no batter was beyond him.

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61. Mohammad Yousuf (1998-2010, Pakistan)

Yousuf’s batting had a beautiful rhythm: late hands, soft touch, and a remarkable ability to keep scoring. His extraordinary 2006 remains one of the great individual years in Test cricket.

41-60: Box Office

These were some of the biggest match-winners of the generation, at least in one format.

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60. Shane Watson (2002-2016, Australia)

Watson could change a game with either skill, and often with both. He was a central figure in Australia’s 2012 T20 World Cup and a match-winner across formats. Formed a decent Test opening partnership with Simon Katich in 2009 as well.

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59. Sourav Ganguly (1992-2008, India)

Ganguly made India believe it could win away from home. He backed young players, demanded more from his team, and helped build the confident side that followed him. Loved those straight sixes.

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58. Tim Southee (2008-2024, New Zealand)

Southee could find movement with the new ball and make it count in big games. He was there for New Zealand’s rise to the top of Test cricket. His 7/33 against England was probably the highlight of his career.

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57. Yuvraj Singh (2000-2017, India)

The man for the big moments. Natwest Series Final, 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 World Cup. His six sixes will remain in the folklore forever, but his 70 off 30 against Australia was my favorite. Don’t forget his ODI World Cup all-round performance. And then the cancer, heartbreak, and the comeback. The 150 after his comeback was inspiring in a way only Yuvraj Singh can.

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56. Shahid Afridi (1996-2018, Pakistan)

Shahid Afridi was possibly Pakistan’s greatest icon. The great entertainer. His numbers do not do him justice, but his match-winning impact remained till the end of his career. Shahid Afridi definitely left a mark as the Player of the 2007 T20 WC, player of the match performances in the 2009 T20 World Cup semi-final and final, and the joint-highest wicket-taker of the 2011 World Cup.

55. Brendon McCullum (2002-2016, New Zealand)

I will always remember the 2015 ODI World Cup as the ‘time of our lives’ as McCullum used to say as the captain of the home World Cup side. His quick starts, especially in that tense semi-final against South Africa, provided NZ the boost that they needed. Also broke the Test triple century barrier for a Kiwi.

Also Read: What is Bazball? The Official Definition of Bazball is…

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54. Travis Head (2016-, Australia)

2023 ODI World Cup Final. WTC Final. 2025 Ashes. Need any more? Travis Head has stood up whenever Australia needed a hero.

Also Read: What If Flintoff Kept His Cool to Yuvraj Singh?

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53. Jos Buttler (2011-, England)

Buttler has made the impossible finish look routine. From the 2019 World Cup final to England’s 2022 T20 title, he has brought nerve and invention to the biggest moments. His run-out in the ‘barest of all margins’ is probably one of the photographs of the century in the cricketing world.

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52. VVS Laxman (1996-2012, India)

Laxman had a gift for arriving when India needed someone to stay. His 281 in Kolkata in 2001 remains legendary, but so many of his finest innings came when defeat seemed close. I vividly remember his 2010 rescue knocks with back spasms.

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51. Rangana Herath (1999-2018, Sri Lanka)

Herath proved that a spinner’s craft can grow with age. He kept finding new ways to trouble batters and became one of Sri Lanka’s most dependable Test match-winners.

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50. Josh Hazlewood (2010-, Australia)

Hazlewood’s greatest strength is that he makes excellence look simple. He hits his length, gives batters no easy scoring, and has delivered for Australia in World Cups and Test finals alike. 36/9, Remember the Name.

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49. Trent Boult (2011-2024, New Zealand)

Boult could make a new ball talk in conditions that seemed to offer nothing. He immediately made a mark in the 2015 ODI World Cup. His swing, his calm, and his part in New Zealand’s World Test Championship triumph made him a modern great.

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48. Mitchell Johnson (2005-2015, Australia)

Mitchell Johnson 2013. The peakest peak of any fast bowler ever. You feared for the batter’s life, but you also enjoyed every moment of it.

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47. Mohammad Shami (2013-, India)

Shami’s seam position and late movement can make a good delivery look unplayable. His 2023 World Cup run showed how devastating he could be when India needed a strike bowler. Fastest bowler to 50 ODI World Cup wickets. At a 13.52 average and 15.80, Shami is one of World Cup’s great bowlers.

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46. Brett Lee (1999-2012, Australia)

Lee bowled with breathtaking pace, but there was more to him than speed. His aggression, skill, and warmth made him one of the most compelling fast bowlers of his generation.

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45. Tillakaratne Dilshan (1999-2016, Sri Lanka)

Dilshan brought invention to the crease, most famously with the scoop that took his name. He could open, keep, bowl, and make Sri Lanka’s white-ball cricket feel full of possibility. If you lived in 2009, you lived in Dilshan’s year.

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44. Nathan Lyon (2011-, Australia)

Lyon became Australia’s long-serving offspinner in Australia’s greatest ever bowling line up.

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43. Ross Taylor (2006-2025, New Zealand)

Taylor was the steady hand through New Zealand’s greatest modern moments. His contribution to the 2019 World Cup final and the 2021 Test championship win made him a national treasure. The greatest #4 ODI batter of all-time. The 181 vs England without being able to walk was my favorite Ross Taylor innings.

Also Read: Ross Taylor, An Underrated Cricketer Who Was A Giant Among New Zealand’s Greatest Generation

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42. Brian Lara (1990-2007, West Indies)

Lara’s 400 not out in 2004 still stands. Had some of the great battles with Murali. Slightly lower on the list because several of his great knocks came in the 90s.

Also Read: Most Stylish Batsman Of The Modern Era, Exclusive Interview with Wiaan Mulder

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41. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (1994-2015, West Indies)

Lara and Chanderpaul back to back. The genius and the grinder of West Indies cricket. Chanderpaul’s crab-like stance became one of this century’s most familiar sights. Through West Indies’ difficult years, he simply refused to get out.

21-40: World Beaters

These players had prolonged successful careers across conditions. However, some retired earlier than expected, form tapered off towards the end, or only played part of their careers in this century.

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40. Lasith Malinga (2004-2020, Sri Lanka)

Malinga’s slinging action made his yorkers seem to arrive from another angle entirely. He turned the death overs into a specialty and brought Sri Lanka a World T20 title as captain. His 4 in 4 were my favorite Malinga moments.

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39. Shaun Pollock (1995-2008, South Africa)

Pollock gave South Africa control with the ball and dependable runs with the bat. He was a captain who led without fuss and an allrounder whose value showed up in every phase of a match.

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38. Kagiso Rabada (2014-, South Africa)

Rabada arrived in international cricket with pace and a fierce competitive edge and has quickly become the leader of South Africa’s attack. At 39.62, he has the 10th best bowling strike-rate of all-time! What a player.

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37. Matthew Hayden (1993-2009, Australia)

Hayden helped set the tone for a side that dominated Tests and World Cups alike. Hayden charging down the wicket against fast bowlers was one of the defining memories of my childhood.

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36. Alastair Cook (2006-2018, England)

Another one of my all-time favorites. Cook made opening the batting look like a long, lonely act of will. He scored runs through England’s greatest Ashes years and gave the team a rock-solid start for more than a decade. Batted the most balls in this century in Test cricket.

Also Read: Top 11 Cricketers Who Retired Too Early

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35. Ravindra Jadeja (2009-, India)

Jadeja gives a team three ways to win: left-arm spin, valuable batting, and fielding that can change a match in seconds. His allround game has become essential to India.

Also Read: Top 55 All-Rounders in Cricket History List

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34. Hashim Amla (2004-2019, South Africa)

Amla’s batting was all timing and balance. He was the fastest to every ODI milestone from 2,000 to 7,000 runs. His 311* at the Oval was his finest hour. Or 13 hours.

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33. Kevin Pietersen (2004-2014, England)

KP took the world by storm in the ODI series against South Africa. He could change the shape of a Test with one audacious stroke, and his 2005 Ashes performances announced a rare match-winner.

Also Read: List of 63 South African Born Cricketers Who Represented Other Nations

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32. Shane Warne (1992-2007, Australia)

Warne’s 2005 Ashes comeback reminded everyone that his imagination was as dangerous as his legbreak. He could make a batter doubt the pitch, the ball, and their own judgement.

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31. Michael Clarke (2003-2015, Australia)

2012 was Michael Clarke’s year. Double and triple centuries. Great batter, wonderful captain as well.

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30. Stuart Broad (2006-2023, England)

Broad saved his most devastating spell for the biggest stage. His 8 for 15 at Trent Bridge in 2015 remains one of the most extraordinary Ashes performances ever. And his celebrations were top notch.

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29. Graeme Smith (2002-2014, South Africa)

Smith led South Africa with a toughness that never asked for sympathy. He built a team that could win anywhere, and his courage at the top of the order matched his authority as captain. Batting with a broken hand will be the lasting image of Graeme Smith in cricket fans’ mind.

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28. Younis Khan (2000-2017, Pakistan)

The best Test batter Pakistan has ever produced. Captaining the 2009 T20 World Cup win was a perfect fit for his competitive spirit. The greatest sweeper and fourth-innings batter the world has ever seen.

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27. Pat Cummins (2011-, Australia)

Fastest Australian to 100 Test wickets since World War II, leading wicket-taker in three consecutive Ashes, one of the best bowling strikes of the generation at 46.52, what’s not to like? And to top it off, Pat Cummins has led Australia to the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup victory in 2023.

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26. Ben Stokes (2011-2026, England)

Probably the most clutch player of the century. Headingley, the 2019 World Cup final, and the 2022 T20 title are all reminders that he can turn a game when it seems lost.

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25. David Warner (2009-2024, Australia)

Warner attacked from the first ball and helped redefine how Australia opened in every format. He won World Cups in both 50-over and T20 cricket, and has a 335* to his name in Test cricket as well.

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24. Chris Gayle (1999-2021, West Indies)

The Universe Boss. Triple century in Tests, double in ODIs, century in T20Is. Double T20 World Cup Winner and a Champions Trophy winner. Entertainment packaged in a cricketer.

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23. Ravichandran Ashwin (2010-2024, India)

Ashwin is a student of batting as much as a master of offspin. He kept evolving, kept finding new variations, and became one of India’s most reliable match-winners at home and abroad.

Also Read: R Ashwin’s I Have the Streets Book Review

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22. Virender Sehwag (1999-2013, India)

Sehwag made Test cricket feel like a one-day game without losing the patience to bat all day. His triple hundreds in Multan and Chennai wrote his name in the history books.

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21. Mahela Jayawardene (1997-2015, Sri Lanka)

Jayawardene brought elegance to the biggest stages. He was one of the key players in Sri Lanka’s golden generation, which was marked by his World Cup final century in 2011 and the 2014 T20 triumph.

1-20: Absolute Legends

These were not only the greatest players of the generation, but some of the finest players in cricket’s history across eras and formats. Future generations will be measured against these legends.

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20. Kane Williamson (2010-2026, New Zealand)

Williamson’s calm is not passivity; it is a form of control. He led New Zealand through the 2019 World Cup final and to the 2021 Test championship, always making the hard moments look manageable.

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19. Adam Gilchrist (1996-2008, Australia)

Gilchrist changed what teams expected from a wicketkeeper-batter. His World Cup final innings in 2007 was memorable, and his attacking style transformed the role of the keeper in Test cricket too.

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18. Shakib Al Hasan (2006-2024, Bangladesh)

Shakib is one of the great all-rounders of this generation. His brilliance, especially at the 2019 World Cup, kept Bangladesh in the tournament till the end. The only player to achieve the double of 14,000 international runs and 700 wickets, and only cricketer to achieve No. 1 all-rounder status simultaneously across all formats. Surpassed Kapil Dev as the most days (4276) spent as the No. 1 all-rounder in ODIs.

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17. Jimmy Anderson (2002-2024, England)

Anderson kept finding ways to make the ball move long after most fast bowlers would have slowed down. His longevity and command of swing made him one of England’s great match-winners.

Also Read: Jimmy Anderson Made Me Fall in Love with Swing Bowling

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16. MS Dhoni (2004-2019, India)

Dhoni had a way of making the last few overs feel under control. He captained India to three major ICC titles and gave the team a finisher who trusted his nerve.

Also Read: MS Dhoni and SK Raina Retire: An End of An Era

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15. Rohit Sharma (2007-, India)

Rohit’s timing can make a huge score look effortless. Five hundreds at the 2019 World Cup and the 2024 T20 title as captain showed two sides of his greatness: the batter and the leader. Not to forget the 264 and his other double centuries.

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14. Rahul Dravid (1996-2012, India)

Dravid was the wall, but he adapted in all formats. 2002 Headingly, 2003 Adelaide, 2004 Rawalpindi, 2006 Jamaica. His 2011 series in England epitomized what Rahul Dravid meant to the Indian team in the 2000s.

Also Read: What Rahul Dravid Taught Me

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13. Glenn McGrath (1993-2007, Australia)

McGrath’s accuracy made pressure feel permanent. He led Australia’s attack through World Cup triumphs and the 2005 Ashes, proving that relentless discipline can be as intimidating as raw pace.

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12. Jasprit Bumrah (2016-, India)

In a land of batters, Bumrah is the icon of the new age of fast bowlers in India. Fast, accurate, and dependable in all conditions and situations. His contribution in the 2024 T20 World Cup final defined his aura. My favorite moment? The slower delivery to Shaun Marsh.

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11. Joe Root (2012-, England)

Root’s batting has carried England through every kind of Test match. He found ways to score at the top level for more than a decade, while adapting his game to England’s changing white-ball side.

Also Read: Cricket Thought of the Day #2: Is Sachin Tendulkar’s 15921 Test Runs Record in Danger?

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10. Dale Steyn (2004-2020, South Africa)

Steyn brought speed, swing, and a fierce joy in taking wickets. The greatest fast bowler of them all.

Also Read: Dale Steyn, The Embodiment of Simplicity and Intensity, Retires, The Greatest Fast Bowler of Them All

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9. Mitchell Starc (2010-, Australia)

Starc has delivered some of Australia’s sharpest World Cup moments with the new ball and at the death. His left-arm pace and yorkers make him a threat even when the match looks settled. The greatest first-over bowler of all-time.

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8. AB de Villiers (2004-2018, South Africa)

De Villiers could make a field feel too small. His 31-ball ODI hundred was astonishing, but it only hinted at the range and improvisation that made him special in every format. During 2014-16, de Villiers could do no wrong. The heartbreak at the 2015 semi-final probably weighed down on him.

Also Read: Faf du Plessis & AB De Villiers’ Friendship: Broken Dreams of Faf and ABD

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7. Sachin Tendulkar (1989-2013, India)

Tendulkar’s 2011 World Cup win felt like the closing chapter of a national dream. Tendulkar inspired a billion dreams, and his resilience after tennis elbow injuries, multiple 90s in 2007, the comeback year in 2010, and the final walk in Wankhede in 2013 were some of Tendulkar’s greatest moments.

Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar Centuries (The Definitive Guide): Everything You Need To Know About Sachin Tendulkar’s Hundred 100s

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6. Steve Smith (2010-, Australia)

Smith’s batting is so unconventional that it can distract from how relentlessly effective it is. He dominated the 2013–14 Ashes, starred in the 2015 World Cup, and kept producing when the pressure returned. After his one-year hiatus, his iconic 2019 Ashes made him the legend he is today.

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5. Kumar Sangakkara (2000-2015, Sri Lanka)

Sangakkara made excellence look natural, whether he was keeping wicket or batting at the top of the order. His final World Cup in 2015, with hundreds arriving one after another, was a remarkable farewell.

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4. Jacques Kallis (1995-2014, South Africa)

Kallis was so complete that it is difficult to decide whether to remember the batter or the bowler first. He gave South Africa runs, wickets, and the certainty that one player could cover almost every need.

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3. Muttiah Muralidaran (1992-2011, Sri Lanka)

Murali carried Sri Lanka’s attack across a generation and delivered on the biggest stages. 800th wicket on his final ball felt like it was just meant to be.

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2. Ricky Ponting (1995-2012, Australia)

Ponting set the standard for Australia’s golden era: fierce at the crease, clear in the field, and relentless as captain. Between 2002-2006, Ponting touched the stratosphere with 36 centuries and 51 fifties across formats. Not to mention, he captained Australia to the defining 2003 and 2007 World Cup victories.

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1. Virat Kohli (2008-, India)

Most runs in the century across formats by far (28527). An ODI and T20 World Cup winner. Captain that took Indian Test bowling to the next level. The greatest ODI player and chaser of all-time. The intensity, the running, and the belief that the target was always reachable helped make him the defining white-ball batter of his era. 133*(86) at Hobart, 82* in Mohali and MCG, and his Test centuries in England and Australia were one of my many favorites.

Also Read: Virat Kohli’s 25 Best Innings Across International Formats, Test Cricket Says Goodbye to Its Most Passionate Son, Virat Kohli

Final Thoughts

This century has given us some of cricket’s most exhilarating moments: the 2005 Ashes, Murali’s 800th wicket, Tendulkar’s 200, Lara’s 400, Dhoni’s six at the Wankhede, Stokes at Headingley, Pant’s Gabba domination, AB’s 31-ball hundred, and Rohit’s 264.

Narrowing an era like this down to 100 names was never going to be easy. For all the debate, Cricinfo’s jury and I agree on 21 of the top 25. What we differ on is the order: Kohli at No. 1, Kallis at No. 4, and Tendulkar at No. 7.

Hopefully I did the century justice. Now tell me who I got wrong.

Others Considered (131-227)

• Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi
• Australia: Aaron Finch, George Bailey, James Faulkner, Jason Gillespie, Marcus Stoinis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan Bracken, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, Scott Boland, Stuart MacGill
• Bangladesh: Mahmudullah, Mohammad Ashraful, Mominul Haque, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed
• England: Alex Hales, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Trott, Liam Plunkett, Marcus Trescothick, Mark Wood, Matthew Hoggard, Michael Vaughan, Moeen Ali, Monty Panesar, Ollie Robinson, Paul Collingwood, Phil Salt, Sam Curran, Simon Jones, Steve Harmison
• India: Ajinkya Rahane, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Suresh Raina, Suryakumar Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal
• Ireland: Kevin O’Brien, Paul Stirling
• Netherlands: Ryan ten Doeschate
• New Zealand: Ajaz Patel, BJ Watling, Chris Cairns, Corey Anderson, Daryl Mitchell, Grant Elliott, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Mitchell Santner, Scott Styris, Tom Latham
• Pakistan: Abdul Razzaq, Asad Shafiq, Danish Kaneria, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah
• South Africa: Aiden Markram, Anrich Nortje, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma
• Sri Lanka: Ajantha Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Thilan Samaraweera, Upul Tharanga
• West Indies: Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite, Daren Sammy, Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Kieron Pollard, Kraigg Brathwaite, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Samuel Badree
• Zimbabwe: Craig Ervine, Heath Streak, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza

Appendix A: A 21st Century Statistical Overview

Most Wickets Since 2000 Combined Across Formats

Player	Wickets
Jimmy Anderson	991
Muttiah Muralidaran	943
Stuart Broad	847
Mitchell Starc	777
Tim Southee	776
Ravichandran Ashwin	765
Shakib Al Hasan	712
Brett Lee	711
Dale Steyn	699
Harbhajan Singh	672
Makhaya Ntini	650
Ravindra Jadeja	642
Trent Boult	611
Zaheer Khan	610
Nathan Lyon	601
Kagiso Rabada	591
Mitchell Johnson	590
Daniel Vettori	581
Shaun Pollock	550
Lasith Malinga	546
Morne Morkel	544
Glenn McGrath	536
Pat Cummins	531
Josh Hazlewood	526
Rangana Herath	519
Jasprit Bumrah	509
Chaminda Vaas	500

Wickets Since 2000

• Test: Anderson (704), Broad (604), Muralidaran (573), Lyon (571), Ashwin (537), Starc (460), Steyn (439), Herath (427), Harbhajan (396), Southee (391), Ntini (380), Warne (357), Jadeja (356), Kumble (355), Rabada (340), Cummins (322), Boult (317), Johnson (313), Zaheer (311), Ishant (311), Morne (309), Roach (304), Hazlewood (303), Lee (303), McGrath (297)
• ODI: Lee (380), Muralidaran (357), Afridi (339), Malinga (338), Shakib (317), Zaheer (282), Pollock (275), Vettori (272), Mortaza (270), Anderson (269), Ntini (264)
• T20I: Rashid (197), Adil Rashid (171), Sodhi (165), Southee (164), Hasaranga (163), Mustafizur (160), Ehsan Khan (155), Zampa (153), Shakib (149), Rizwan Butt (145), Mark Adair (142), Lamichhane (142), Santner (142), Arshdeep (140)

Most Runs Combined Across Formats In the Century

Player	Runs
Virat Kohli	28527
Kumar Sangakkara	28016
Mahela Jayawardene	24182
Joe Root	23074
Ricky Ponting	22183
Jacques Kallis	21135
Rohit Sharma	20675
AB de Villiers	20014
Sachin Tendulkar	19945
Chris Gayle	19535
Kane Williamson	19346
David Warner	18995
Hashim Amla	18672
Ross Taylor	18244
Rahul Dravid	18040
Steve Smith	17814
Younis Khan	17790
Tillakaratne Dilshan	17321
MS Dhoni	17266
Virender Sehwag	17252
Graeme Smith	17236
Michael Clarke	17112
Shivnarine Chanderpaul	16213
Mushfiqur Rahim	16171

Most Runs in the Century (by Format)

• Test: Root (14278), Cook (12472), Sangakkara (12400), Kallis (11440), Ponting (11286), S Smith (10920), Jayawardene (10881), Dravid (10590), Younis (10099), Tendulkar (10080), Chanderpaul (9633), Williamson (9515), Amla (9282), G Smith (9265), Kohli (9230), Warner (8765), AB de Villiers (8765), Clarke (8643), Sehwag (8586), Hayden (8364), Mathews (8214), Pietersen (8181), VVS (8155), Bell (7727), Ross Taylor (7683), Stokes (7273), Karunaratne (7222), Gayle (7214), Pujara (7195), Azhar Ali (7142), Strauss (7037)
• ODI: Kohli (15109), Sangakkara (14234), Rohit (12143), Jayawardene (11808), Dhoni (10773), Ponting (10496), Gayle (10422), Dilshan (10149), Tendulkar (9855), AB de Villiers (9577), Kallis (9029), Yuvraj (8701), Yousuf (8671), Taylor (8607), Tamim (8357), Jayasuriya (8307), Sehwag (8272), Amla (8113), Root (8027), Clarke (7981), Rahim (7795), Morgan (7701), Shakib (7570), Malik (7519), Dravid (7419), Guptill (7346), Williamson (7256), Younis (7249), Gilchrist (7243), de Kock (7123), Gibbs (6997), G Smith (6989), Tharanga (6951), Warner (6932), Dhawan (6793), B Taylor (6747), Ganguly (6658), Babar (6626), Hafeez (6614)
• T20I: Babar (4596), Buttler (4384), Rohit (4231), Kohli (4188), Stirling (3895), Guptill (3531), Virandeep Singh (3483), Rizwan (3414), Muhammad Waseem (3371), Warner (3277), Suryakumar Yadav (3272), Raza (3244), Syed Aziz (3177), Finch (3120), de Kock (3095), Maxwell (2897), Miller (2804), Nissanka (2784), Litton (2702)

Appendix B: ICC Tournament Award Winners

2000 Knockout Trophy

Winning Captain: Stephen Fleming, Runners-up Captain: Sourav Ganguly

• Most Runs: Sourav Ganguly (348), Saeed Anwar (209), Roger Twose (203)
• Most Wickets: Venkatesh Prasad (8), Azhar Mahmood (7), Zaheer Khan (7), Anil Kumble (6)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Shayne O’Connor, Sourav Ganguly
• Finals Player of the Match: Chris Cairns

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2002 Champions Trophy

Shared Trophy (Captains): Sanath Jayasuriya, Sourav Ganguly

• Most Runs: Virender Sehwag (271), Sanath Jayasuriya (254), Herschelle Gibbs (240)
• Most Wickets: Muttiah Muralidaran (10), Glenn McGrath (8), Douglas Hondo (8), Zaheer Khan (8), Shane Bond (6), Mervyn Dillon (6), Harbhajan Singh (6)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Virender Sehwag, Aravinda de Silva
• Finals Player of the Match: N/A

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2003 ODI World Cup

Winning Captain: Ricky Ponting, Runners-up Captain: Sourav Ganguly

• Player of the Series: Sachin Tendulkar
• Most Runs: Sachin Tendulkar (673), Sourav Ganguly (465), Ricky Ponting (415)
• Most Wickets: Chaminda Vaas (23), Brett Lee (22), Glenn McGrath (21)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Andrew Symonds, Sourav Ganguly
• Finals Player of the Match: Ricky Ponting

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2004 Champions Trophy

Winning Captain: Michael Vaughan, Runners-up Captain: Brian Lara

• Player of the Series: Ramnaresh Sarwan
• Most Runs: Marcus Trescothick (261), Ramnaresh Sarwan (166), Nathan Astle (163)
• Most Wickets: Andrew Flintoff (9), Steve Harmison (8), Michael Kasprowicz (7), Chris Gayle (7)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Michael Vaughan, Ramnaresh Sarwan
• Finals Player of the Match: Ian Bradshaw

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2006 Champions Trophy

Winning Captain: Ricky Ponting, Runners-up Captain: Brian Lara

• Player of the Series: Chris Gayle
• Most Runs: Chris Gayle (474), Upul Tharanga (320), Damien Martyn (241)
• Most Wickets: Jerome Taylor (13), Farveez Maharoof (12), Lasith Malinga (11)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Glenn McGrath, Chris Gayle
• Finals Player of the Match: Shane Watson

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2007 ODI World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Ricky Ponting, Runners-up Captain: Mahela Jayawardene

• Player of the Series: Glenn McGrath
• Most Runs: Matthew Hayden (659)
• Most Wickets: Glenn McGrath (26)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Mahela Jayawardene, Glenn McGrath
• Finals Player of the Match: Adam Gilchrist

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2007 T20 World Cup

WC Winning Captain: MS Dhoni, Runners-up Captain: Shoaib Malik

• Player of the Series: Shahid Afridi
• Most Runs: Matthew Hayden (265), Gautam Gambhir (227), Misbah-ul-Haq (218)
• Most Wickets: Umar Gul (13), Stuart Clark (12), RP Singh (12), Shahid Afridi (12)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Umar Gul, Yuvraj Singh
• Finals Player of the Match: Irfan Pathan

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2009 T20 World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Younis Khan, Runners-up Captain: Kumar Sangakkara

• Player of the Series: Tillakaratne Dilshan
• Most Runs: Tillakaratne Dilshan (317), Jacques Kallis (238), Chris Gayle (193)
• Most Wickets: Umar Gul (13), Ajantha Mendis (12), Saeed Ajmal (12), Lasith Malinga (12), Shahid Afridi (11)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Shahid Afridi, Tillakaratne Dilshan
• Finals Player of the Match: Shahid Afridi

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2009 Champions Trophy

WC Winning Captain: Ricky Ponting, Runners-up Captain: Brendon McCullum

• Player of the Series: Ricky Ponting
• Most Runs: Ricky Ponting (288), Shane Watson (266), Graeme Smith (206)
• Most Wickets: Wayne Parnell (11), Stuart Broad (10), Kyle Mills (9)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Shane Watson, Daniel Vettori
• Finals Player of the Match: Shane Watson

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2010 T20 World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Paul Collingwood, Runners-up Captain: Michael Clarke

• Player of the Series: Kevin Pietersen
• Most Runs: Mahela Jayawardene (302), Kevin Pietersen (248), Salman Butt (223)
• Most Wickets: Dirk Nannes (14), Charl Langeveldt (11), Steven Smith (11)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Stuart Broad, Michael Hussey
• Finals Player of the Match: Craig Kieswetter

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2011 ODI World Cup

WC Winning Captain: MS Dhoni, Runners-up Captain: Kumar Sangakkara

• Player of the Series: Yuvraj Singh
• Most Runs: Tillakaratne Dilshan (500), Sachin Tendulkar (482), Kumar Sangakkara (465)
• Most Wickets: Zaheer Khan (21), Shahid Afridi (21), Tim Southee (18)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Kumar Sangakkara, Sachin Tendulkar
• Finals Player of the Match: MS Dhoni

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2012 T20 World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Daren Sammy, Runners-up Captain: Mahela Jayawardene

• Player of the Series: Shane Watson
• Most Runs: Shane Watson (249), Mahela Jayawardene (243), Marlon Samuels (230)
• Most Wickets: Ajantha Mendis (15), Shane Watson (11), Mitchell Starc (10)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Mahela Jayawardene, Chris Gayle
• Finals Player of the Match: Marlon Samuels

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2013 Champions Trophy

WC Winning Captain: MS Dhoni, Runners-up Captain: Alastair Cook

• Player of the Series: Shikhar Dhawan
• Most Runs: Shikhar Dhawan (363), Jonathan Trott (229), Kumar Sangakkara (222)
• Most Wickets: Ravindra Jadeja (12), Mitchell McClenaghan (11), Jimmy Anderson (11), Ishant Sharma (10)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: James Tredwell, Ishant Sharma
• Finals Player of the Match: Ravindra Jadeja

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2014 T20 World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Lasith Malinga, Runners-up Captain: MS Dhoni

• Player of the Series: Virat Kohli
• Most Runs: Virat Kohli (319), Tom Cooper (231), Stephan Myburgh (224)
• Most Wickets: Imran Tahir (12), Ahsan Malik (12), Samuel Badree (11), Ravichandran Ashwin (11)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Angelo Mathews, Virat Kohli
• Finals Player of the Match: Kumar Sangakkara

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2015 ODI World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Michael Clarke, Runners-up Captain: Brendon McCullum

• Player of the Series: Mitchell Starc
• Most Runs: Martin Guptill (547), Kumar Sangakkara (541), AB de Villiers (482)
• Most Wickets: Mitchell Starc (22), Trent Boult (22), Umesh Yadav (18)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Grant Elliot, Steve Smith
• Finals Player of the Match: James Faulkner

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2016 T20 World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Daren Sammy, Runners-up Captain: Eoin Morgan

• Player of the Series: Virat Kohli
• Most Runs: Tamim Iqbal (295), Virat Kohli (273), Joe Root (249)
• Most Wickets: Mohammad Nabi (12), Rashid Khan (11), Mitchell Santner (10), Ish Sodhi (10), David Willey (10)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Jason Roy, Lendl Simmons
• Finals Player of the Match: Marlon Samuels

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2017 Champions Trophy

WC Winning Captain: Sarfaraz Ahmed, Runners-up Captain: Virat Kohli

• Player of the Series: Hasan Ali
• Most Runs: Shikhar Dhawan (338), Rohit Sharma (304), Tamim Iqbal (293)
• Most Wickets: Hasan Ali (13), Josh Hazlewood (9), Junaid Khan (8), Liam Plunkett (8)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Hasan Ali, Rohit Sharma
• Finals Player of the Match: Fakhar Zaman

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2019 ODI World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Eoin Morgan, Runners-up Captain: Kane Williamson

• Player of the Series: Kane Williamson
• Most Runs: Rohit Sharma (648), David Warner (647), Shakib Al Hasan (606)
• Most Wickets: Mitchell Starc (27), Lockie Ferguson (21), Mustafizur Rahman (20), Jofra Archer (20)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Matt Henry, Chris Woakes
• Finals Player of the Match: Ben Stokes

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2021 WTC Final

Winning Captain: Kane Williamson, Runners-up Captain: Virat Kohli

• Player of the Final: Kyle Jamieson
• Most Runs (2019-21): Marnus Labuschagne (1675), Joe Root (1660), Steve Smith (1341)
• Most Wickets (2019-21): Ravichandran Ashwin (71), Pat Cummins (70), Stuart Broad (69)

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2021 T20 World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Aaron Finch, Runners-up Captain: Kane Williamson

• Player of the Series: David Warner
• Most Runs: Babar Azam (303), David Warner (289), Mohammad Rizwan (281)
• Most Wickets: Wanindu Hasaranga (16), Adam Zampa (13), Trent Boult (13), Shakib Al Hasan (11), Josh Hazlewood (11)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Daryl Mitchell, Matthew Wade
• Finals Player of the Match: Mitchell Marsh

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2022 T20 World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Jos Buttler, Runners-up Captain: Babar Azam

• Player of the Series: Sam Curran
• Most Runs: Virat Kohli (296), Max O’Dowd (242), Suryakumar Yadav (239)
• Most Wickets: Wanindu Hasaranga (15), Sam Curran (13), Bas de Leede (13), Blessing Muzarabani (12)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Mohammad Rizwan, Alex Hales
• Finals Player of the Match: Sam Curran

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2023 WTC Final

Winning Captain: Pat Cummins, Runners-up Captain: Rohit Sharma

• Player of the Final: Travis Head
• Most Runs (2021-23): Joe Root (1915), Usman Khawaja (1621), Marnus Labuschagne (1576)
• Most Wickets (2021-23): Nathan Lyon (88), Kagiso Rabada (67), Ravichandran Ashwin (61)

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2023 ODI World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Pat Cummins, Runners-up Captain: Rohit Sharma

• Player of the Series: Virat Kohli
• Most Runs: Virat Kohli (765), Rohit Sharma (597), Quinton de Kock (594)
• Most Wickets: Mohammad Shami (24), Adam Zampa (23), Dilshan Madushanka (21)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Mohammad Shami, Travis Head
• Finals Player of the Match: Travis Head

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2024 T20 World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Rohit Sharma, Runners-up Captain: Aiden Markram

• Player of the Series: Jasprit Bumrah
• Most Runs: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (281), Rohit Sharma (257), Travis Head (255)
• Most Wickets: Fazalhaq Farooqi (17), Arshdeep Singh (17), Jasprit Bumrah (15), Anrich Nortje (15), Rashid Khan (14)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Marco Jansen, Axar Patel
• Finals Player of the Match: Virat Kohli

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2025 WTC Final

Winning Captain: Temba Bavuma, Runners-up Captain: Pat Cummins

• Player of the Final: Aiden Markram
• Most Runs (2023-25): Joe Root (1968), Yashasvi Jaiswal (1738), Ben Duckett (1470)
• Most Wickets (2023-25): Pat Cummins (80), Jasprit Bumrah (77), Mitchell Starc (77), Nathan Lyon (66)

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2025 Champions Trophy

WC Winning Captain: Rohit Sharma, Runners-up Captain: Mitchell Santner

• Player of the Series: Rachin Ravindra
• Most Runs: Rachin Ravindra (263)
• Most Wickets: Matt Henry (10)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Virat Kohli, Rachin Ravindra
• Finals Player of the Match: Rohit Sharma

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2026 T20 World Cup

WC Winning Captain: Suryakumar Yadav, Runners-up Captain: Mitchell Santner

• Player of the Series: Sanju Samson
• Most Runs: Sahibzada Farhan (383)
• Most Wickets: Jasprit Bumrah (14), Varun Chakravarthy (14)

Knockouts

• SF Player of the Match: Finn Allen, Sanju Samson
• Finals Player of the Match: Jasprit Bumrah

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Appendix C: Sources

• Cricinfo’s Greatest Cricketers of the Century
• #1-5 Women’s Cricketers of the Century (Cricinfo)
• #1-5 Men’s Cricketers of the Century (Cricinfo)

Other BCD Greatest Cricketers of All-Time Lists

If you like these types of lists, you may also enjoy:

• Ranking the 78 Greatest Australian Cricketers of All-Time (Men’s)
• 155 Greatest Cricketers of All Time (Men’s)
• 76 Greatest Women Cricketers of All Time
• Ranking England’s 65 Greatest Cricketers of All Time (Men’s)
• Ranking the Top 60 Greatest Indian Cricketers of All-Time (Men’s)
• Top 50 Greatest West Indies Cricketers of All Time
• Top 51 Greatest South African Cricketers of All-Time
• Top 43 Pakistan Fast Bowlers List (The Complete Guide)
• Greatest Wicketkeepers of All Time
• Top 21 West Indian Fast Bowlers List
• Top 25 South African Fast Bowlers

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