Team Records

Which team has played the most number of ODI cricket matches?

Even before the boom of T20I matches, there was a craze for ODI matches in the late 90s and early 2000s. That is one of the reasons India has played the most ODI matches in cricket history.

But somehow, ion for the ODIs has nosedived in the last decade or so due to more T20I games and, of course, franchise cricket.

There was a time when fans used to watch 7-match ODI series; now all we get is a maximum of 3 ODIs per series. But the cricket world has witnessed more than 4,600 ODI matches till now.

In this article, I will list the most ODI matches played by the top 10 teams.

Most ODI Matches Played by a Team

Team Matches Span
India 1066 1974-2025
Australia 1013 1971-2025
Pakistan 987 1973-2025
Sri Lanka 932 1975-2025
West Indies 888 1973-2025
New Zealand 841 1973-2025
England 814 1971-2025
South Africa 685 1991-2025
Zimbabwe 581 1983-2025
Bangladesh 446 1986-2025
Ireland 210 2006-2025
Afghanistan 178 2009-2025
Scotland 171 1999-2025
Kenya 154 1996-2014
Netherlands 144 1996-2025
U.A.E. 124 1994-2025
Canada 104 1979-2025

Key insights from the above stat

1: England and Australia played the first-ever ODI match in cricket history. The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) hosted the game on January 5, 1971. 

2: So far, India and Australia have played 1000+ ODI matches. India played their first ODI match against England on July 13, 1974, World’s biggest cricket stadium.

Meanwhile, Australia’s 1000th ODI also came against the West Indies on February 6, 2024, in Canberra and they made it memorable. The Aussies skittled the Windies for 86 runs (24.1 overs) and chased the target in 6.5 overs with 8 wickets in hand, making it one of the shortest ODIs by balls bowled (186 balls).

900: Pakistan and Sri Lanka have played over 900 ODI matches, with the West Indies inching closer to the 900-game mark. In September 2023, Sri Lanka entered the 900 ODI club.