The 25 Greatest World Records in Cricket History (Updated 2026)
From Bradman's 99.94 to Lara's 400*, Muralitharan's 1,347 wickets and the 27-ball T20I century — every major cricket world record, who holds it, and which ones might actually fall.
· CricLiveOnline staff
Cricket keeps better books than any sport on earth — 150 years of numbers, and a handful that tower over all the rest. Here is the definitive list of the game’s greatest world records as of 2026, with the stories behind them and an honest assessment of which are breakable.
Batting: the untouchables
| Record | Holder | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Test batting average | Don Bradman | 99.94 |
| International runs | Sachin Tendulkar | 34,357 |
| International centuries | Sachin Tendulkar | 100 |
| ODI centuries | Virat Kohli | 54 (and counting) |
| Highest Test score | Brian Lara | 400* |
| Highest first-class score | Brian Lara | 501* |
| Highest ODI score | Rohit Sharma | 264 |
| Runs in one Test series | Don Bradman | 974 (1930) |
| Runs in one World Cup | Virat Kohli | 765 (2023) |
Bradman’s 99.94 is the sport’s holy number — no other substantial career has averaged even 62. Tendulkar’s 100 hundreds looked equally safe until Virat Kohli reached 85 by mid-2026; the chase is real. Lara’s 400* and 501* have stood since 2004 and 1994 — and he remains the only man to break the Test record twice.
Bowling: Murali’s mountain range
| Record | Holder | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Test wickets | Muttiah Muralitharan | 800 |
| ODI wickets | Muttiah Muralitharan | 534 |
| International wickets | Muttiah Muralitharan | 1,347 |
| Test five-wicket hauls | Muttiah Muralitharan | 67 |
| Test wickets by a pacer | James Anderson | 704 |
| Wickets in one Test | Jim Laker | 19/90 (1956) |
| Best Test innings figures | Jim Laker, Anil Kumble, Ajaz Patel | All ten wickets |
| Best ODI figures | Chaminda Vaas | 8/19 |
| International hat-tricks | Lasith Malinga | 5 (incl. 4 in 4 balls — twice) |
Muralitharan owns four of the nine — and took his 800th with the final ball of his career. Jim Laker’s 19 wickets in a single Test (Old Trafford, 1956) is the record most experts consider literally unbeatable: someone must take all 20. Only three men have taken all ten in an innings — Laker, Anil Kumble (10/74, 1999) and Ajaz Patel (10/119, 2021).
Speed records: the new frontier
| Record | Holder | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Fastest ODI fifty | AB de Villiers | 16 balls |
| Fastest ODI century | AB de Villiers | 31 balls |
| Fastest T20I fifty | Dipendra Singh Airee | 9 balls |
| Fastest T20I century | Sahil Chauhan | 27 balls |
| Fastest Test century | Brendon McCullum | 54 balls |
| Six sixes in a T20I over | Kieron Pollard, Dipendra Singh Airee (and others) | 36 runs |
The speed category is where Associate cricket has crashed the party: Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee holds the fastest T20I fifty ever (9 balls), Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan the fastest T20I century (27 balls), and Nepal the highest T20I team total (314/3 vs Mongolia). Full breakdown in our fastest centuries guide.
Team and tournament records
- Most World Cup titles: Australia — 6 ODI World Cups
- Highest Test total: Sri Lanka, 952/6 declared (1997)
- Highest ODI total: England, 498/4 (2022)
- Lowest Test total: New Zealand, 26 all out (1955)
- Highest T20I total: Nepal, 314/3 (2023)
- Only captain to win all three ICC white-ball trophies: MS Dhoni
- Most Test wins as a player: Ricky Ponting, 108
Which records could actually fall?
In danger: Kohli chasing Tendulkar’s 100 centuries; the fastest T20I century (a 27-ball mark invites a 25); highest ODI team totals in the 500 era.
Probably safe: Rohit Sharma’s 264; AB de Villiers’ 31-ball hundred; Murali’s 1,347.
Untouchable: Bradman’s 99.94, Laker’s 19, Lara’s 501*, and Bradman’s 974-run series — records from another dimension of the game.
All records verified against official sources as of July 2026. Spot an update we’ve missed? See our about page for corrections.
RecordsBradmanTendulkarLaraMuralitharanKohli