Brendan Taylor Sets New Record for Longest ODI Career, Surpassing Sachin Tendulkar

In a remarkable achievement, Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor has surpassed cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar to become the holder of the longest ODI career in men's cricket. With a career spanning over 22 years, Taylor's journey has been filled with highs and lows, including a ban from cricket due to corruption attempts. This article delves into Taylor's record-breaking feat, his impressive statistics, and his return to the sport as Zimbabwe prepares for the upcoming ODI World Cup. Discover the details of this historic moment in cricket.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 16, 2026, 00:05 IST

Brendan Taylor Breaks ODI Career Record

Harare [Zimbabwe], September 15: Zimbabwe's wicketkeeper-batter Brendan Taylor has made history by surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar to claim the record for the longest One Day International (ODI) career in men's cricket, as reported by Cricinfo.

With an impressive ODI career lasting 22 years and 148 days, Taylor has eclipsed Tendulkar's previous record of 22 years and 91 days. This milestone was achieved during the first ODI of the current three-match series against Australia held in Harare on Tuesday.

As a result, Tendulkar now holds the second position on this prestigious list, while former Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya ranks third with a career spanning 21 years and 184 days.

Despite this change in rankings, Tendulkar remains the all-time leading run-scorer in ODI cricket, amassing a staggering 18,426 runs and holding the record for the most matches played in this format with 463 appearances.

Brendan Taylor, now 40 years old, made his ODI debut in April 2004 against Sri Lanka and quickly became one of Zimbabwe's top batsmen. Prior to Tuesday's match, he had scored 11 ODI centuries—a national record—across 207 matches, accumulating a total of 6,704 runs.

After retiring from international cricket in 2021, Taylor revealed in January 2022 that he had been approached by corruptors in 2019 who attempted to entice him into match-fixing with cocaine offers and subsequent blackmail. Although he denied ever fixing a match, he admitted to delaying his report to the ICC due to concerns for his family's safety. This led to a ban from all forms of cricket for three and a half years.

Following the completion of his suspension, Taylor returned from retirement in 2025 as Zimbabwe geared up for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa and Namibia.