Joe Root has moved into third place on England's list of most capped ODI players, overtaking Paul Collingwood during the fourth match of the tri-series against Pakistan in Lahore. The appearance was his 198th for England, leaving only Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler ahead of him in the all-time list.
England's Most Capped ODI Players
Root's 198 caps place him one ahead of Collingwood's 197. Only two England players have gone past 200 ODI appearances, and both are former captains.
Among active players, only the injured Jos Buttler has more caps than Root. The table below shows the current top five.
| Rank | Player | ODI Caps for England |
|---|
| 1 | Eoin Morgan | 225 |
| 2 | Jos Buttler | 204 |
| 3 | Joe Root | 198* |
| 4 | Paul Collingwood | 197 |
| 5 | James Anderson | 194 |
Closing In on the 200 Mark
Root is only two appearances short of 200 ODIs. That would put him alongside Morgan and Buttler as the only England players to reach the figure.
With the 2027 World Cup approaching, Root is positioned to climb further. He is in line to become the most capped ODI player for the 2019 World Champions.
Root's ODI Career in Numbers
Root made his ODI debut against India in Rajkot in January 2013. He has been a regular in the playing XI since, first at number four and now at number three.
No other England batter has scored more runs in the format since his debut. He completed 8,000 ODI runs with a score of 69 in the previous match, and his career average is above 50.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|
| ODI debut | January 2013 vs India, Rajkot |
| Caps for England | 198 |
| Career ODI runs | 8,000+ |
| Career average | Over 50 |
| Most recent score before milestone | 69 |
| Batting position | No. 4 earlier, now No. 3 |
A Quiet Innings in a Milestone Game
The milestone match did not bring a big score for Root. He was dismissed for 5 off 7 balls, and England were 11/2 after three overs while batting first.
It was a small sample, but it contrasts with his recent run of scores in the series.
Tri-Series Context for England
England are playing for survival in the tri-series. They scored 429/4 against Sri Lanka in their previous match, yet Sri Lanka chased the target down with one ball remaining.
In the match before that, also in Rawalpindi, England failed to chase 303 in the second innings. Two defeats have left them with little margin for error.
| Match | Venue | Result Detail |
|---|
| Earlier tri-series match | Rawalpindi | England unable to chase 303 |
| Vs Sri Lanka | Tri-series | England 429/4; Sri Lanka chased with one ball left |
| Vs Pakistan | Lahore | England 11/2 after 3 overs (batting first) |
What the Standings Mean
A win over Pakistan would turn England's fixture against Sri Lanka on October 29 into a virtual semi-final. A loss would eliminate them from the tri-series.
The result in Lahore therefore carries more weight for England's campaign than Root's personal milestone.
Why the Milestone Matters
Longevity in ODIs is a measure of both consistency and selection stability. Root has held a place in England's XI for more than a decade across different captains and batting positions.
Overtaking Collingwood and approaching 200 caps, while keeping an average above 50, places him among the format's most dependable batters. Only Morgan and Buttler stand ahead of him in appearances.