Ireland captain Paul Sterling on Thursday became the most capped player in men’s T20I history, overtaking former India captain Rohit Sharma in Ireland’s opening T20I against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai. Sterling played his 160th match in the format, surpassing Rohit’s long-standing record of 159 matches.

Since making his T20I debut against Pakistan in 2009, Sterling has been a central figure in Ireland’s journey in the shortest format. A regular at the top of the pecking order, the 35-year-old has built his career around aggressive powerplay batting and consistency, playing a key role in some of Ireland’s most memorable T20 performances.

Long life is closely related to production volume. Sterling currently ranks fourth on the list of all-time T20I run-scorers with 3,874 runs, including 124 half-centuries, behind Babar Azam, Rohit and Virat Kohli.

Sterling has also produced decisive innings on big stages, particularly in the 2012 and 2013 World T20 qualifying finals against Afghanistan. A back injury has prevented him from practicing bowling in recent years, but he has made full appearances in the past, including during Ireland’s historic World Cup victory over England in 2011.

His power hitting has earned him regular appearances on the franchise circuit, including appearances in the Pakistan Super League, Bangladesh Premier League, ILT20, SA20 and The Hundred. In the latter, he scored an unbeaten 74 from 42 deliveries in a nine-wicket win over Welsh Fire for the Southern Brave in 2022.

In the Dubai T20I, Sterling’s landmark appearance did not come with any major contribution from his bat. Opening the innings, he scored eight runs before being sent off. However, after choosing to bat first, Ireland recovered to record a competitive 178 for six. They fell behind at 62 for 3 in nine overs, but Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher added 55 runs for the fourth wicket. Ireland were once again nailed at 145 for six in 18 overs, but a 33-run stand from Benjamin Calitz and George Dockrell helped push the total up.

Dockrell is third on the all-time T20I appearances list with 153 matches, followed by Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi with 148 matches. England captain Jos Buttler finished in the top five with 144 games.

Rohit, who retired from T20 internationals after leading India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup, had held the record since his debut in 2007. Sterling’s achievements reflect a career marked by durability, consistency and lasting impact in international T20 cricket.

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