Former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis has been named the greatest cricketer of the 21st century.
A special panel comprising experts and former players from ESPNcricinfo has selected the greatest international male cricketers of the 21st century, awarding top honours to South Africa’s Jacques Kallis, India’s Sachin Tendulkar, and Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan.
He was the epitome of excellence and high intensity 💪
The greatest all-round men’s international cricketer of the last 25 years: Jacques Kallis 👏 #CricinfoHonours pic.twitter.com/On9ZeJyTOl
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 30, 2026
Based on performances between 2000 and 2025, Sachin Tendulkar was named the best batsman of the century, Muralitharan was declared the leading bowler, while Jacques Kallis was recognized as the premier all-rounder.
In women’s cricket, Australia’s Ellyse Perry was chosen as the greatest international female cricketer of the 21st century.
She’s probably the greatest of all time 🌟
The greatest women’s cricketer of the last 25 years: Ellyse Perry #CricinfoHonours pic.twitter.com/g0GgjTROJp
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 30, 2026
The 25-member jury included prominent cricket figures such as Wasim Akram, Greg Chappell, Faf du Plessis, Matthew Hayden, Angelo Mathews, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Shastri, Daniel Vettori, and Shane Watson, among others.
The gold standard of batting in the modern era ✨
The greatest men’s international batter of the last 25 years: Sachin Tendulkar #CricinfoHonours pic.twitter.com/OV9oipWQgq
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 30, 2026
Sachin Tendulkar is widely regarded as one of the most successful batsmen in cricket history, holding the record for the most runs in both Test and One-Day International cricket, along with numerous batting milestones.
He could absolutely destroy opposition batting line-ups 🌀
The greatest men’s international bowler of the last 25 years: Muthiah Muralidaran #CricinfoHonours pic.twitter.com/Y1rqUxJww6
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 30, 2026
Jacques Kallis, ranked among the greatest all-rounders of all time, scored over 13,000 Test runs and took nearly 300 wickets during his illustrious career. He described historic Test series wins against Australia and England as some of his most memorable achievements.
Muralitharan ended his career with 800 Test wickets and played a key role in Sri Lanka’s success for more than two decades.
South Africa’s AB de Villiers was named the best T20 batsman, while India’s Jasprit Bumrah was recognised as the best T20 bowler.
Top 25 Greatest Male International Cricketers of the 21st Century:
- Jacques Kallis
- Sachin Tendulkar
- Virat Kohli
- Muttiah Muralitharan
- Ricky Ponting
- AB de Villiers
- Kumar Sangakkara
- Dale Steyn
- Joe Root
- Steve Smith
- Adam Gilchrist
- Rahul Dravid
- James Anderson
- MS Dhoni
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Kane Williamson
- Mitchell Starc
- Chris Gayle
- Ben Stokes
- Pat Cummins
- Mahela Jayawardene
- Virender Sehwag
- Kevin Pietersen
- Stuart Broad
- Ravichandran Ashwin
