From Harmanpreet's longevity to Suzie Bates' era: Most matches played in women's cricket

Arnav Chopra

Bates, Kaur, Perry, Raj, Edwards (Source: @ICC/X.com)Bates, Kaur, Perry, Raj, Edwards (Source: @ICC/X.com)

Women's cricket has experienced significant growth in the past few decades, with numerous top-class individuals emerging. Throughout the duration of their careers, they have often led their sides brilliantly, not just with the bat in hand, but also with their critical thinking ability, helping the youngsters after gaining valuable experience.

Recently, New Zealand's Suzie Bates became the highest-capped all-rounder in international women's cricket. Therefore, in this article, we will take a look at the international players who have played the most international matches in women's cricket.

5) Charlotte Edwards - 309 matches

Featuring in fifth position on this list is England's former skipper, Charlotte Edwards, one of the legends of the game. The 1979-born, who debuted in 1996, went on to play until 2016, in her last game against Australia. She made her debut in Test cricket against New Zealand in 1996. During her long international career, the English legend featured in a total of 309 matches, divided across three formats: 23 Test matches, 191 one-day internationals, and 95 T20Is.

She scored 1,676, 5,992, and 2,605 runs, respectively, in those three formats, while also grabbing 12, 74, and 9 wickets, respectively, in those formats. Being the youngest woman cricketer to play for England at the age of 16 at the time, Edwards carved a legacy of her own, as she was often at the centre whenever England needed runs on the board.

4) Mithali Raj - 333 matches

At the fourth position on this list is another former Indian legend, Mithali Raj, who featured in a total of 333 matches for the Women in Blue. Jodhpur-born Raj made her international debut in 1999 against Ireland women in one-day cricket, and she continued to play until 2022, featuring against South Africa women in her last international cricket encounter. From a total of 333 matches, Mithali Raj featured in 10 Tests, 232 ODIs, and 89 T20 international games for India, where she scored plenty of runs with the bat.

Individually, she scored 699 runs in Tests, 7,805 runs in one-day internationals, and 2,364 runs in T20I cricket, while averaging 43.68, 50.68, and 57.52 in those three formats, respectively. Raj was one of the greatest batters in the Indian lineup during her two-decade-long career, where she almost helped India lift the World Cup in 2017, unfortunately without success. Despite that, she was one of the most dependable batters on her side, often staying in the centre, playing the anchor role whenever her side needed.

3) Ellyse Perry - 341 matches

The player with the third most international matches in women's cricket is Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry. One of the finest players of this generation, Perry has played in a total of 341 international matches for Australia across all formats. In Tests, she has played 14 games, while in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), she has featured in 159 matches, and in T20Is, she remains strong, having played 168 matches.

After debuting in 2007, she is currently one of the finest all-rounders in world cricket. In Test cricket, she has 930 runs and 39 wickets to her name, while in ODIs, she has 4362 runs and 166 wickets, and in T20Is, she has 2173 runs and 126 scalps, as Perry at her best is largely unstoppable.

2) Harmanpreet Kaur - 342 matches

Moving ahead, the player in second position on this list is current Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. Kaur, born in 1989, made her debut for the Indian side in 2009, when she first appeared against Pakistan Women. After playing for many years, she was appointed the captain of the Indian side and has led the Indian team beautifully in the past few years. Her aggressive style of captaincy, along with her dynamic hitting ability, has made her a legend in her own right.

With a total of 6 Tests, 154 ODIs and 182 T20Is, Harmanpreet has been one of the most destructive players in the Indian side with her classic big-hitting ability. In ODIs, she has scored 4189 runs, while in T20Is, she has 3654 runs to her name. The right-hander has the ability to change the narrative of the game. One of the most generational knocks of the era, her 171 against Australia in the 2017 ODI World Cup semi-final, still remains at the epicentre of women's cricket as a legacy-defining knock, as she continues to do so.

1) Suzie Bates - 350 matches*

Now, the player at the top of the list is none other than New Zealand's Suzie Bates, who, in the recent encounter against South Africa Women, completed her 350th game in women's cricket. Dunedin-born Suzie Bates made her debut in 2006 against India Women at Lincoln, and she is currently the major record holder in women's cricket. With a total of 5,896 runs in 172 ODI matches, she has also smashed 4,716 runs in 177 T20I matches.

Alongside that, she has also managed to smash a total of 14 centuries, with one of those coming in the shortest format of the game. The 38-year-old has done a tremendous job playing international cricket, where, along with scoring runs, she has also managed to pick 81 and 60 wickets, respectively, in ODIs and T20Is, while her right-arm medium-pace bowling has often yielded results, as White Ferns have banked on her experience and ability to change the game with her outstanding all-round skills.