Pakistan’s All-Rounder Agha Salman Tops Global Cricket Calendar In 2025

Key Points

Agha Salman played all 54 of Pakistan’s international matches in 2025, breaking the previous record of 53.
Pakistan equalled their own record for most international fixtures in a calendar year, matching 2013’s total.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s all-format workhorse and current T20I captain, Agha Salman, wrote his name into cricket’s global record books on Sunday, becoming the player with the most international appearances in a single calendar year.

A Record-Breaking Year for Agha

With his latest outing in the tri-series clash against Zimbabwe, Agha took his tally for 2025 to 54 international matches, surpassing the long-standing record of 53, previously jointly held by legends Rahul Dravid (1999), Mohammad Yousuf (2000), and MS Dhoni (2007).

Pakistan, meanwhile, have also equalled their own record for most international fixtures in a year, matching the 54 matches they played in 2013.

Agha’s appearance streak is even more remarkable considering he has turned out for every single game Pakistan have played this year, the only player in world cricket to do so.

Another Busy Day at the Office

In Sunday’s tri-series match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan posted 195-5, powered by a commanding 74 off 52 from Babar Azam and a blistering late charge from Fakhar Zaman, who hammered 27 not out off 10 balls. Agha contributed one run off two deliveries, sharing a short-lived stand with Fakhar.

Zimbabwe’s chase never took off, folding for 126, courtesy of a sensational spell from young pacer Usman Tariq, who returned 4-18 and grabbed a memorable hat-trick in just his second international game.

A Landmark in Perspective

By reaching 54 matches, Agha has now climbed to the top of an elite list of global cricket stalwarts. The milestone of 50 matches in a year was first breached by Sachin Tendulkar in 1997. In the current decade, only Daryl Mitchell (51 matches in 2023) had come close to the record before Agha’s remarkable run.

Cricket’s relentless calendar is often debated, but Agha’s consistency, fitness, and adaptability have placed him in rare company—making 2025 a career-defining year.