Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is poised to make history at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo during the second Test against Sri Lanka. As the world's top-ranked Test all-rounder takes the field on Sunday, August 23, he will cement his status as the cornerstone of India's red-ball squad by becoming the first Indian player to reach 50 World Test Championship appearances.
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Ravindra Jadeja set to become first Asian cricketer to play 50 WTC matches:
The milestone caps an exceptional run in the WTC format for the 37-year-old Jamnagar native. Across his previous 49 matches, Jadeja has been a masterclass in balance, compiling 2,632 runs alongside 160 wickets. He enters the historic fixture in sharp form, having already claimed four wickets, including a three-wicket burst in the first innings—to help secure India's victory in Galle.
Following Jadeja on India’s all-time WTC appearance leaderboard are Virat Kohli and speedster Mohammed Siraj, who currently share second place with 46 matches apiece. Should Siraj feature in the final lineup for the upcoming Test in Colombo, he will break that tie and claim sole possession of second place with 47 caps.
Indian cricketers with most WTC matches:
| Player | Matches | Runs | Wickets |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 49 | 2,632 | 160 |
| Virat Kohli | 46 | 2,617 | 0 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 46 | 167 | 141 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 42 | 334 | 185 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 41 | 1,142 | 195 |
| Rishabh Pant | 41 | 2,885 | 0 |
| Shubman Gill | 41 | 2,867 | 0 |
| Rohit Sharma | 40 | 2,716 | 0 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | 35 | 1,769 | 0 |
| KL Rahul | 34 | 2,265 | 0 |
At the international level, the benchmark for durability belongs to England skipper Joe Root, who leads all players with 78 WTC appearances. Root—the premier run-getter in the competition's history, is part of an exclusive club, as only 11 cricketers globally have reached the 50-match threshold in the World Test Championship to date.
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Cricketers with most WTC matches (overall):
| Player | Country | Matches |
| Joe Root | England | 78 |
| Ben Stokes | England | 64 |
| Steve Smith | Australia | 61 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | Australia | 60 |
| Travis Head | Australia | 59 |
| Zak Crawley | England | 57 |
| Nathan Lyon | Australia | 57 |
| Mitchell Starc | Australia | 56 |
| Pat Cummins | Australia | 54 |
| Ollie Pope | England | 54 |
| Alex Carey | Australia | 50 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | India | 49 |
Taking the field in Colombo will make Ravindra Jadeja the very first Asian player to hit the 50-match milestone in World Test Championship history. Alongside that landmark, the second Test against Sri Lanka offers the veteran all-rounder two major away-soil achievements. Sitting on 96 foreign dismissals from 37 Tests, Jadeja is just four wickets away from becoming the latest Indian bowler to claim 100 Test scalps on tour. His bat could make history in foreign conditions as well. With 1,885 runs across 62 away innings, a strong showing in Colombo, specifically a total of 115 runs, would elevate Jadeja into the 2,000-run club in matches played outside India.
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