Paul Stirling breaks Rohit Sharma’s T20I record; becomes 1st cricketer in history to…

Rohit Sharma and Paul Stirling [Source: X]Ireland’s T20I captain Paul Stirling has officially become the most capped player in men’s T20I history, with 160 matches to his name. This landmark achievement saw him surpass Rohit Sharma’s record of 159 T20I caps. He is followed on the list by Ireland’s George Dockrell and Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi. Stirling has also enjoyed a strong presence in franchise cricket across the globe by also captaining the Ireland cricket team in 2018 at the Hong Kong Sixes tournament for the first time. Alongside his extensive T20I, ODI and Test career, Stirling has featured in several leagues for franchises such as Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Pretoria Capitals and Middlesex, as well as Bangladesh Premier League teams including Chattogram Royals and Fortune Barishal. Stirling tops list of most capped men's T20I player Paul Stirling's contribution in T20I cricket has seen him move ahead of stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and even his long-time teammate George Dockrell, who has 153 caps.Fortunately, for Stirling, his record is currently unlikely to be challenged by cricketers due to their absence from the format. Rohit Sharma has retired from T20I cricket, and hence, the next closest contender to break Paul Stirling’s record is George Dockrell, who is still actively playing for Ireland and has 153 caps to his name. RankSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TablePlayer NameSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableCountrySelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableNo. of MatchesSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table1SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TablePaul Stirling*SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableIrelandSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table160SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table2SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableRohit SharmaSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableIndiaSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table159SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table3SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableGeorge DockrellSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableIrelandSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table153SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table4SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableMohammad NabiSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableAfghanistanSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table148SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table5SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableJos ButtlerSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableEnglandSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table144SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table Mohammad Nabi of Afghanistan, who has 148 caps, is also continuing to play the game and therefore remains another potential contender who could topple Stirling’s record if he stays in the format for some more time.Stirling's 160th T20I appearance marked by failureNotably, Stirling’s 160th T20I appearance came in the January 29 match against the UAE in Dubai during Ireland’s tour of the United Arab Emirates.Leading the side, Stirling opened the innings alongside veteran Ross Adair but had a quiet outing, scoring eight runs with two boundaries before being dismissed by Junaid Siddiqui on the third ball of the first over. Paul Stirling's massive cricketing careerThe 35-year-old is primarily a top-order batter who also bowls part-time off-breaks. Known for his explosive approach at the crease, despite his portly build, he generates immense power with seemingly minimal effort. The Belfast-born cricketer has faced over 2,874 deliveries in T20Is, scoring 3,874 runs at a strike rate of 134.79 and an average of 26.53. He has one century and 24 half-centuries in the format, along with 42 catches as a reliable fielder. Paul Stirling made his international debut for Ireland in July 2008 in an ODI against New Zealand. His T20I debut followed a year later against Pakistan. He later earned his Test cap in 2018, again against Pakistan, and has since scored 521 runs from 20 Test innings.Now, Stirling is set to lead a strong Ireland T20 side into the T20 World Cup 2026. Ahead of their opening match against Sri Lanka, Ireland will play one warm-up game against Pakistan on February 4, 2026, in Colombo.