India’s women’s Cricket team made their T20I debut in 2006 against England, followed by the men’s team playing their first T20I match against South Africa later that same year in December.
T20Is are often seen as a platform for younger players, but some veterans have had extended careers, proving their skill repeatedly. Here are three Indian players with the longest T20I careers:
3. Ravindra Jadeja (15 years, 140 days)
Ravindra Jadeja debuted in 2009 against Sri Lanka and went on to play 74 T20Is. He scored 515 runs with an average of 21.45 and took 54 wickets at an average of 29.85 and an economy rate of 7.13. Jadeja played his last T20I on June 29, 2024, concluding a career of 15 years and 140 days.
2. Rohit Sharma (16 years, 284 days)
Rohit Sharma made his T20I debut in 2007 against England during the T20 World Cup, scoring a half-century in his first match against South Africa. In total, he played 159 T20Is, amassing 4231 runs at an average of 32.05 and a strike rate of 140.89, including five centuries and 32 fifties. He led India to victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 and retired from the format on June 29, 2024, completing a T20I career of 16 years and 284 days.
1. Harmanpreet Kaur (17 years, 10 days)
Harmanpreet Kaur debuted in 2009 against England during the T20 World Cup. She became the first player to reach 200 T20I appearances in International cricket. Harmanpreet has scored the third-most runs in women’s T20Is, totaling 4147 runs from 179 innings at an average of 30.05 and a strike rate of 110.24. Her career has spanned 17 years and ten days, the longest for any Indian player so far.