Sachin Tendulkar's ODI Career: 18,426 Runs and 49 Centuries
Sachin Tendulkar's ODI batting record — 18,426 runs, 49 centuries, the double century against South Africa, his role as an opener vs middle-order, and why his records may never be broken.
Sachin Tendulkar's ODI career record stands above all others in the history of the format. He scored 18,426 ODI runs — over 2,300 more than the next-highest scorer — at an average of 44.83 across 463 innings. His 49 ODI centuries are more than any other batsman by a significant margin; Virat Kohli's 50 (as of 2024) is the only total to surpass it, achieved in significantly fewer matches. Tendulkar played his first ODI in 1989 at age 16 and his last in 2012 at 39 — a span of 23 years.
The 200 Against South Africa
On February 24, 2010, Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to score a double century in ODI cricket, making 200* from 147 balls against South Africa at Gwalior. The innings ended on 200 only because he ran out of partners; he was undefeated when India's 10th wicket fell. India scored 401/3 in 50 overs. The innings contained 25 fours and 3 sixes. No batsman had previously come close to 200 in ODI cricket — the previous highest was Brian Lara's 169. Rohit Sharma later scored 209 (2013), 208 (2017) and 264 (2014) to surpass Tendulkar's record.
Batting Positions and Roles
- Tendulkar first opened for India in ODIs in 1994, after playing in the middle order for five years. The move was transformative: he averaged over 50 as an opener compared to 38 in the middle order.
- His partnership with Sourav Ganguly at the top of the ODI order became the most productive opening partnership in ODI history at that time, with over 8,200 runs.
- In the 2003 World Cup, Tendulkar scored 673 runs — the most by any batsman in a single World Cup — including a match-winning 98 against Pakistan in the Super Six stage.
Frequently asked questions
How many ODI centuries did Sachin Tendulkar score?
Sachin Tendulkar scored 49 ODI centuries in 463 innings — by far the most in ODI history for most of his career. Virat Kohli has since surpassed this tally with 50 ODI centuries (as of 2024). Tendulkar also scored 18,426 ODI runs, still the most in ODI cricket history and likely to remain so for many years given the margin over second-place.
Who scored the first double century in ODI cricket?
Sachin Tendulkar scored the first double century in ODI cricket — 200* from 147 balls against South Africa at Gwalior on February 24, 2010. He was not out when India's last wicket fell, so he finished on exactly 200. Rohit Sharma later scored three ODI double centuries (264, 209, 208), surpassing Tendulkar's record score.