Salman Ali Agha breaks world record, surpasses Indian greats

Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha has surpassed legends like Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, and Mohammad Yousuf to set a world record for playing the most international matches in a single calendar year.

Agha achieved the milestone during Pakistan’s 69-run victory over Zimbabwe in the T20I tri-series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Pakistan have played a total of 54 international matches in 2025 so far, the most by any team this year, with the West Indies being next–best with 45 matches.

Agha, who is Pakistan’s mainstay across formats, is the only player to feature in all of these games this year.

Remarkably, this tally also equals Pakistan’s record for most matches in a calendar year, first set in 2013.

Agha, by featuring in 54 matches, eclipsed the previous joint record of 53 appearances held by Dravid (1999), Yousuf (2000), and Dhoni (2007).

The feat of surpassing 50 international matches in a single year is rare, first achieved by Sachin Tendulkar in 1997, and more recently by New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell, who played 51 games in 2023.

Most international matches in a calendar year

Salman Ali Agha (Pakistan) – 54, 2025

Rahul Dravid (India) – 53, 1999

Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan) – 53, 2000

MS Dhoni (India/Asia XI) – 53, 2007

Lance Klusener (South Africa) – 52, 2000

Paul Collingwood (England) – 52, 2007

Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka) – 52, 2014

Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 51, 1997

Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand) – 51, 2023