Veteran Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batter Brendan Taylor overtook the legendary Sachin Tendulkar to achieve an incredible milestone during the first ODI against Australia on Tuesday, September 15. Zimbabwe are hosting Australia for a three-match ODI series.
Brendan Taylor, appearing in his 208th ODI, went past Tendulkar for the longest career in Men’s ODIs. Having made his debut in the format on April 20, 2004, his ODI career is 22 years and 148 days long and still going.
Tendulkar, who played 463 ODIs, made his debut in the format in 1989 and had a career that lasted 22 years and 91 days. He amassed 18426 runs at an average of 44.83 with 49 hundreds and 96 fifties. Sri Lankan legend and former opener Sanath Jayasuriya is third on this list, whose ODI career lasted 21 years and 184 days. He played 445 games in the format and piled on 13430 runs at an average of 32.36, with 28 centuries and 68 half-centuries.
In the ongoing game against Australia, Zimbabwe lost the toss and are bowling first at Harare. Brendan Taylor will be in action with the bat when the hosts come out to chase later on.
Brendan Taylor’s retirement and comeback to international cricket
Brendan Taylor made his international debut in 2004 and has represented Zimbabwe across all formats. He announced his retirement from international cricket in 2021. However, in 2022, he had been banned for three and a half years for breaching the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Anti-Doping Code.
After completing the ban, Taylor made a return to international cricket in 2025. His inclusion in the squad for the second Test against New Zealand that year marked his comeback.
The 40-year-old has played 37 Tests so far, scoring 2420 runs at an average of 35.58 with six hundreds and 12 half-centuries. In ODIs, the format in which he beat Sachin Tendulkar’s longevity record, he has scored 6704 runs at an average of 35.28 with 11 hundreds and 39 half-centuries. In 59 T20Is, Taylor has scored 1216 runs at an average of 24.32 and a strike rate of 122.33, with a century and six half-centuries to his name.
Edited by Rishab Vm
