Jos Buttler Joins Elite Ranks, Poised to Surpass Anderson’s Landmark Achievement

Colombo:

England keeper‑batter Jos Buttler has reached a rare milestone in his international career, becoming only the second player in England history to feature in 400 international matches across Tests, ODIs and T20Is. Buttler achieved the landmark during the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo, entering a club previously occupied only by seam bowling great James Anderson, who leads England appearances with 401 matches to his name. 

The 35‑year‑old reached the milestone at the R. Premadasa Stadium as England prepared to bat in the series decider. Meanwhile, he has amassed 12291 runs in international cricket with the help of 14 centuries across formats.

Most matches for England in international cricket

Brook, Root score century in third ODI

Buttler’s landmark came on the back of another impressive collective performance by England’s white‑ball unit. In the third ODI, the visitors posted a commanding total of 357. Skipper Harry Brook made an unbeaten 136 off 66 balls and Joe Root played an unbeaten knock of 111 runs off 108 balls. Brook’s explosive innings included a rapid century while Root’s contribution marked his 20th ODI hundred and took him past 7,500 runs in the format. 

Buttler’s own batting contributions in the series have helped keep England competitive, including an unbeaten 33* in the second ODI in Colombo as England chased down Sri Lanka’s 219 to level the series 1‑1. 

Across his career, Buttler has become one of England’s most influential white‑ball cricketers, featuring in 57 Tests, 198 ODIs and 144 T20Is. Despite stepping down from limited‑overs captaincy following the 2025 Champions Trophy, he remains a key figure, leading to the T20 World Cup 2026 and then the ODI World Cup 2027.

In the second innings, Sri Lanka have a tough task in hand as chasing a mammoth target of 358 runs won’t be easy. The focus will be on senior cricketers such as Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis.

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