Opening the bat in cricket is one of the toughest jobs in sports. While many struggle to survive, a few legendary batters have turned this difficult role into a run-scoring masterclass. Scoring a century at the international level is a massive feat. But doing it consistently while opening the innings is truly special. In this article, we celebrate the ultimate trailblazers of the game. Here is a look at the elite batters who have scored the most international hundreds as openers.
Top 5 Opening Batters With Most International Centuries
1. David Warner – The Record Holder
David Warner tops the list of the most international hundreds as openers. He passed Sachin Tendulkar during his 106-run knock against South Africa in Bloemfontein in September 2023. Warner has 49 centuries as an opener. He scored 26 centuries in Test cricket as an opener. His highest Test score was 335 not out against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval in November 2019. He scored 22 centuries in ODI cricket as an opener.
His best ODI score was 179, which also came against Pakistan. He once scored 7 centuries in a single calendar year in 2016. He also has 1 T20I century, which was an unbeaten 100 against Sri Lanka at the Adelaide Oval in October 2019. He was the first Australian and the 8th batsman overall to score a century in his 100th ODI. He also scored a century in his 100th Test match. He became only the second Australian to do that.
2. Rohit Sharma – The Hitman
Rohit Sharma is now the second-highest century maker as an opener in international cricket. He passed Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 45 in July 2026. Rohit has 47 centuries as an opener. He scored 32 centuries in ODI cricket as an opener. That is the most by any Indian opener in that format. His career best of 264 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens is still the highest individual score in ODI history. He scored 9 centuries in Test cricket as an opener.
His best Test score was 212 against South Africa in Ranchi in 2019. He also has 5 centuries in T20I cricket as an opener. That is the joint most in the format. His highest T20I score was 121 not out against Afghanistan in 2024. He has three ODI double centuries, which is a world record. He became the oldest Indian to score an ODI century at 39 years and 80 days. He did that with 138 against England at Lord’s in July 2026.
3. Sachin Tendulkar – The Master Blaster
Sachin Tendulkar scored 45 centuries as an opener and all of them came in ODI cricket. He never opened the bat in Test cricket. That makes his achievement even more special. His 45 centuries as an opener stood as a record for over two decades. He scored all but two of his 342 ODI innings as an opener. He amassed 15,335 runs as an opener with 75 fifties.
His first ODI century as an opener came against Australia in 1994 when he scored 110. He was promoted to open after a tour of New Zealand. In his first five innings at the top he scored 82, 63, 40, 63 and 73. His highest ODI score of 200 not out against South Africa in Gwalior in 2010 made him the first man to score a double century in ODI cricket. He remains the all-time leading run scorer in ODI cricket with 18,426 runs and 49 centuries overall.
4. Chris Gayle – The Universe Boss
Chris Gayle is one of only four players to score two triple centuries in Test cricket. He has 42 centuries as an opener. He scored 15 centuries in Test cricket as an opener. His highest Test score was 333 against Sri Lanka at Galle in November 2010. He scored 25 centuries in ODI cricket as an opener. He scored 2 centuries in T20I cricket as an opener. He was the first player ever to score a T20I century.
He made 117 against South Africa in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20. He is the only player to score a triple century in Tests, a double century in ODIs and a century in T20Is. He scored centuries against 7 different opponents in Tests. He did best against New Zealand and South Africa with 3 centuries each. His five scores over 150 in ODIs place him joint third on the all-time list.
5. Sanath Jayasuriya – The Revolutionary Opener
Sanath Jayasuriya changed opening batting in the mid-1990s with his explosive approach. He did this especially during the 1996 World Cup alongside Romesh Kaluwitharana. Jayasuriya has 41 centuries as an opener. He scored 28 centuries in ODI cricket as an opener. That is the most by any Sri Lankan batter. His career best of 189 came in the 2000 Coca-Cola Cup final against India. He scored 13 centuries in Test cricket as an opener.
His highest score of 340 against India in 1997 was a Sri Lankan record at the time. He did not score a century in T20I cricket. His highest T20I score was 88. He was selected as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1997. He got this honour even though he had not played in the previous English season. This was in recognition of his impact on the game. He scored 42 centuries in Test and ODI cricket combined.
FAQs
Q. Who has scored the most international centuries as an opener?
A. David Warner has scored 49 international centuries as an opener.
Q. How many centuries has Rohit Sharma scored as an opener?
A. Rohit Sharma has scored 47 centuries as an opener.
Q. How many centuries did Sachin Tendulkar score as an opener?
A. Sachin Tendulkar scored 45 centuries as an opener.
Q. How many centuries has Chris Gayle scored as an opener?
A. Chris Gayle has scored 42 centuries as an opener.
Q. How many centuries has Sanath Jayasuriya scored as an opener?
A. Sanath Jayasuriya has scored 41 centuries as an opener.
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