RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha has created history by surpassing cricketing greats Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, and Mohammad Yousuf to set a new world record for the most international matches played in a single calendar year.
Agha reached the milestone during Pakistan’s 69-run victory over Zimbabwe in the ongoing T20I tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
A Historic Year for Pakistan Cricket
Pakistan have already played 54 international matches in 2025, more than any other team this year, with the West Indies trailing at 45.
Agha stands out as the only cricketer globally to feature in every one of these 54 matches, highlighting his exceptional consistency, fitness, and importance across all formats.
This achievement also matches Pakistan’s own record of most international matches in a year, previously set in 2013.
Surpassing Dravid, Yousuf and Dhoni
By completing his 54th match, Agha overtook the long-standing joint record of 53 matches in a calendar year held by:
Rahul Dravid (1999)
Mohammad Yousuf (2000)
MS Dhoni (2007)
Playing 50+ international matches in a year is a rare milestone in cricket—first achieved by Sachin Tendulkar in 1997 and most recently matched by Daryl Mitchell 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
Leadership and Recent Success
As captain, Agha has led Pakistan in 36 T20Is, winning 22 and losing 14, boasting an impressive 61.11% win rate.
Pakistan’s strong run in T20Is this year includes:
Winning a home T20I series against South Africa (2-1)
Three straight wins against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in the current tri-series
Reaching the final of the ACC Men’s T20I Asia Cup 2025, finishing runners-up to India
Winning a T20I tri-series earlier in the year featuring UAE and Afghanistan
Agha’s record-breaking year highlights his rise as one of Pakistan’s most reliable all-format performers and a leader shaping the team’s resurgence in white-ball cricket.
