Jos Buttler plays his 402nd international on February 1 [Source: englandcricket/X.com]History was rewritten in Pallekele as England took on Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I of the series on February 1. Jos Buttler etched his name in history to become the most capped international cricketer from England, going past the legendary James Anderson.While the Englishmen cap off their T20 World Cup preparations, with the competition just days away, Buttler became only the second player to go past 400 international matches for England during the ongoing series.Jos Buttler surpasses James Anderson to achieve the historic featHaving made his England debut back in 2011 at the Old Trafford in Manchester against India, where he did not get to bat, the wicketkeeper batter has played 199 ODIs, 146 T20Is and 57 Tests for the Three Lions to go past Anderson, who debuted in December 2002 against Australia in an ODI at Melbourne and played 401 games till 2024, including 188 Tests, 194 ODIs and 19 T20Is.Most international matches for England1. Jos Buttler - 402* (2011 - active)2. James Anderson - 401 (2002 to 2024)3. Joe Root - 384* (2012 - active)4. Eoin Morgan - 356 (2009 to 2022)5. Stuart Broad - 344 (2006 to 2023)Jos Buttler's England legacyAs predominantly featuring for England in ODIs and T20Is, Buttler remains one of the most crucial figures in their modern history after playing a big part in their revolution from 2015 to 2019 under Eoin Morgan.He was one of the most important parts of Morgan's puzzle on their way to the 2019 World Cup triumph, redefining ODI cricket. He famously also inflicted the last run-out in the Super Over during the final to lift their first-ever World Cup. In his 199 ODIs, he has scored 5515 runs at a strike rate of 115.20 with 11 hundreds and 29 fifties so far.The 35-year-old also went on to captain the side to their second T20 World Cup win in 2022, when they ran through the opponents and eventually defeated Pakistan to clinch the title in Melbourne. In the shortest format, he remains their top run-scorer with 3886 runs in 133 innings, striking at 149.06.As the captain, he won 18 of the 45 ODIs that he led, while finding more success in T20Is, where he has 26 wins in 51 matches before he eventually handed the reins to Harry Brook in 2025.Buttler to play big role in T20 World Cup 2026Considering the amount of cricket he has been playing around the world and the age factor, the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka could be one of his last one or two ICC events before he calls it a day.Despite all the factors, as a senior pro who has played a lot of cricket in the sub-continent. He will have a huge responsibility on his shoulders to help Harry Brook from behind the stumps as well as at the top of the order to set the tone of the matches.They start their campaign against Nepal on February 8, followed by the West Indies, Scotland, and Italy games in the Group C matches till February 16.
