Top 10: Most Fifties in ODI Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most fifties in the history of One-Day Internationals (ODIs).

In this article, we will talk about the top 10 batters with the most fifties in ODI cricket.

10. Virat Kohli (India) | 72 Fifties

Indian top-order batter Virat Kohli has scored more than 70 fifties in ODI cricket. The right-hander has played around 290 matches, scoring more than 13000 runs at an average over 55 and a strike rate over 90.

9. Sourav Ganguly (India) | 72 Fifties

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly scored 72 fifties in his ODI career and more than 11000 runs at an average of 41 in 311 matches. Out of 72, the left-hander scored 30 fifties as a captain.

Sourav Ganguly’s last ODI fifty came against Australia in a run chase of 317 runs. He scored 86 runs from 117 balls playing as an opener, and he was dismissed when India’s score was 203. India lost the match by 18 runs.

8. MS Dhoni (India) | 73 Fifties

Former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored 73 fifties in his ODI career of 350 matches. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 10773 runs in 297 innings at an average of 50.57 and a strike rate of 87.

MS Dhoni led India in 200 ODI matches, and he scored 47 half-centuries as a captain. Dhoni played in the No. 6 position most of his career and scored 30 fifties while batting at 6.

The finisher batted at 7th in his last ODI match and scored a fifty from 72 balls against New Zealand in the semi-final of the Cricket World Cup 2019.

India were chasing 240 runs, lost the first 3 wickets for 5 runs, and were down to 6 for 92 runs. Dhoni and Jadeja stitched a partnership, but that wasn’t enough to take India over the line. Dhoni was run out by Martin Guptill in the 49th over of the innings.

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7. Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) | 77 Fifties

Mahela Jayawardene, the former Sri Lankan batter, scored 77 fifties in his ODI career of 448 matches.

Jayawardene scored over 12000 runs in 418 innings at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 79. Mahela also led Sri Lanka in 129 matches and scored 23 fifties as a captain.

6. Ricky Ponting (Australia) | 82 Fifties

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting scored 82 half-centuries in his one-day career. He played 375 matches and scored 13704 at an average of 42.

Ponting was one of the most successful captains of Australia. He led them in 230 matches and scored 51 half-centuries as a captain.

The right-hander smashed 5 consecutive ODI fifties in 2004. He started his good run against Sri Lanka by scoring 58 runs and completed his 5th fifty against Zimbabwe by scoring 91 runs.

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5. Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan) | 83 Fifties

Former Pakistani batter Inzamam Ul Haq, who scored the most runs for Pakistan in ODIs, also scored the most half-centuries for them in the same format.

Inzamam scored 83 half-centuries in 350 innings and scored 11739 runs at an average of 39.52. The right-hander led Pakistan in 90 ODIs and scored 19 fifties as a captain.

4. Rahul Dravid (India) | 83 Fifties

Former Indian batter Rahul Dravid scored 83 fifties in his ODI career of 344 matches. The right-hander scored 10889 runs in 318 innings at an average of 39 in ODIs.

Dravid led India in 75 matches and scored 25 fifties as the captain of India in ODIs. The middle-order batter scored 27 half-centuries while batting at 3, 26 half-centuries while batting at 4, and 22 half-centuries at the 5th position.

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3. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) | 86 Fifties

Former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis scored 11579 runs and 86 fifties in his 328 matches ODI career. He averaged 44 with the bat and Kallis also has 273 wickets in ODIs.

Batting at number 3, Kallis scored 57 half-centuries for South Africa in 200 innings. He captained South Africa in only 13 ODIs, scoring 433 runs at an average of 43, including 3 fifties as a captain.

2. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) | 93 Fifties

Former Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Sangakkara scored 93 fifties in his ODI career of 404 matches. He scored a total of 14324 runs in 380 innings at an average of 42.

The left-hander was Sri Lanka’s reliable batter and he batted at the No. 3 for them where he scored 66 half-centuries in 238 innings.

In 2005, Sangakkara scored 10 half-centuries in 30 innings. This is the highest number of fifties he smashed in a single year.

1. Sachin Tendulkar (India) | 96 Fifties

Former Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar scored 96 fifties in ODIs which is the most number of fifties in ODI cricket. The right-hander played 463 One Day matches for India, scoring 18426 runs at an average of 44.83 and he scored 49 centuries too — the second-most hundreds in ODIs.

Sachin scored the most number of fifties against Sri Lanka (17) in his ODI career. As an opener, Sachin scored 75 half-centuries.

Sachin played his last ODI in 2012 against Pakistan in Dhaka. He contributed 52 runs from 48 balls as an opener in a run chase of 330 runs when India lost a wicket early. India won the match by 6 wickets with Virat Kohli scoring 183 from 148 balls.