How Cricket Records Are Counted: Formats, Levels and Fine Print

Why cricket records need context: records are split by format, level of match and gender, and are checked by official scorers. Learn what counts as a world record in cricket.

Cricket records are always tied to a format and a level of match: Test, ODI, T20I, first-class, List A or T20. A record in one is not comparable to another, and men's and women's records are kept separately.

Format first

A highest score in a Test is a different record from a highest score in an ODI or a T20. Rules, overs, field restrictions and conditions differ, so statisticians keep a separate list for each format and never mix them.

Level of match

International records come from matches with full international status between ICC member teams. First-class records come from multi-day matches at the top level of domestic cricket. List A covers domestic limited-overs matches, and T20 records cover both domestic leagues and internationals depending on the list.

Matches against unofficial sides, A teams and warm-up games are generally excluded from official international records.

Men's and women's records

Men's and women's cricket have separate record books. When a record is described as the highest score in an ODI, it normally refers to men's ODIs unless stated, and a separate women's ODI record may exist.

Not out innings and averages

An asterisk, such as 400*, means the batter was not out. Batting averages divide runs by dismissals, so records for a high average usually carry a minimum number of innings to avoid distortion by short careers.

Records are living documents

A record stands until someone beats it, and the calendar adds more matches every year. Treat any list as a snapshot and check the ICC or a trusted statistics source for the current position.

Frequently asked questions

Is a T20 league record a world record?

It is a record in that competition or in T20 cricket depending on the list, but it is not an international record unless it came in an international match.

What does the asterisk mean on a cricket score?

It means the batter was not out when the innings ended, so the score may have been higher had they batted on.

Who keeps the official cricket records?

The ICC publishes official international records, and statisticians and databases keep first-class, List A and T20 records.