Most fifties in ODI World Cup: Tendulkar 15, Kohli second on 12

Sachin Tendulkar has the most fifties in ODI World Cup history with 15. Virat Kohli is second on 12 after making six in the 2023 tournament alone, and Shakib Al Hasan third on 11.

Complete to 11 September 2026 — the next 50-over World Cup is in 2027, so this list has not moved since November 2023.

What counts as a fifty here

A fifty means an innings that finished between 50 and 99. A hundred is not also counted as a fifty, which is the convention ESPNcricinfo uses and the one this page follows. It matters at the top: Tendulkar’s 15 fifties came alongside six hundreds, so he passed fifty 21 times in World Cup cricket. Kohli has 12 and five, so 17. On that combined measure Rohit Sharma and Shakib Al Hasan are next on 13.

Most fifties in ODI World Cup history

Every player with eight or more World Cup fifties. Ranked on fifties; players level are ordered by runs. Source: ESPNcricinfo.

Rank	Player	Team	Span	Matches	Runs	Average	100s	50s
1	Sachin Tendulkar	India	1992-2011	45	2,278	56.95	6	15
2	Virat Kohli	India	2011-2023	37	1,795	59.83	5	12
3	Shakib Al Hasan	Bangladesh	2007-2023	36	1,332	41.62	2	11
4	Steve Smith	Australia	2011-2023	34	1,136	42.07	1	10
5	Jacques Kallis	South Africa	1996-2011	36	1,148	45.92	1	9
6	Adam Gilchrist	Australia	1999-2007	31	1,085	36.16	1	8
6	Javed Miandad	Pakistan	1975-1996	33	1,083	43.32	1	8
6	Mushfiqur Rahim	Bangladesh	2007-2023	38	1,079	34.80	1	8
6	Herschelle Gibbs	South Africa	1999-2007	25	1,067	56.15	2	8
6	Graham Gooch	England	1979-1992	21	897	44.85	1	8
6	Michael Clarke	Australia	2007-2015	25	888	63.42	0	8
6	Martin Crowe	New Zealand	1983-1992	21	880	55.00	1	8
6	Mohammad Azharuddin	India	1987-1999	30	826	39.33	0	8
6	Steve Tikolo	Kenya	1996-2011	28	768	29.53	0	8

Sachin Tendulkar, 15

Tendulkar’s 15 came across six World Cups and 44 innings. He is also the leading run-scorer in the tournament’s history with 2,278.

His most productive edition was 2003, when he made 673 runs with six fifties and a hundred and finished as the tournament’s leading scorer.

Virat Kohli’s six in 2023, and why it matters

Kohli made six fifties in the 2023 World Cup, equalling Tendulkar’s six in 2003 as the most anyone has made in a single edition. He added three hundreds on top and finished with 765 runs, the highest aggregate in any World Cup.

That one tournament took him from six fifties to 12 and into second place. Only Tendulkar, with six in 2003, has matched that in one tournament.

Eight fifties, and no hundred at all

Three of the nine players on eight never made a World Cup century: Michael Clarke, whose 888 runs came at 63.42, the highest average in the table; Mohammad Azharuddin, with a best of 93 across six tournaments; and Steve Tikolo of Kenya, the only Associate player in the table, whose span runs across five tournaments from 1996 to 2011.

Most ODI World Cup fifties for India

Rank	Player	Span	Matches	Runs	Average	100s	50s
1	Sachin Tendulkar	1992-2011	45	2,278	56.95	6	15
2	Virat Kohli	2011-2023	37	1,795	59.83	5	12
3	Mohammad Azharuddin	1987-1999	30	826	39.33	0	8
4	Yuvraj Singh	2003-2011	23	738	52.71	1	7
5	Rohit Sharma	2015-2023	28	1,575	60.57	7	6
5	Rahul Dravid	1999-2007	22	860	61.42	2	6
5	Navjot Singh Sidhu	1987-1996	12	454	45.40	0	6
8	MS Dhoni	2007-2019	29	780	43.33	0	5
9	KL Rahul	2019-2023	20	813	58.07	2	4
9	Sunil Gavaskar	1975-1987	19	561	35.06	1	4

Navjot Singh Sidhu’s six came in 12 matches, fewer than anyone else in that ten, across three tournaments between 1987 and 1996.

What the 2023 World Cup changed

• Virat Kohli 8 to 12, second on the list.
• Steve Smith 8 to 10, fourth.
• Shakib Al Hasan 10 to 11, third.
• Mushfiqur Rahim stayed on 8, but his row was stale anyway: the old page had him on 32 matches and 996 runs, against 38 and 1,079 now. A count that has not changed does not mean a row that does not need checking.

When this list can change next

The 2027 World Cup, in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, is the next chance for anyone here to move. Kohli is three short of Tendulkar, and he made six in 2023 alone; he was back in India’s ODI side against England in July 2026. Shakib Al Hasan, third on 11, is the only other player within five.

 

Photo credit: Alamy