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Ellyse Perry added another golden feather to her already glittering career after achieving a record that no cricketer in the world has ever achieved before. The Australian all-rounder created history on June 20 by becoming the first player, male or female, to play 50 matches in the ICC T20 World Cup.
The historic moment came during the Australia women’s national cricket team’s ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match against the Netherlands in Southampton on Saturday (June 20).
Ellyse Perry creates a world record in the ICC T20 World Cup
As soon as Ellyse Perry was named in Australia's playing XI against the Netherlands, the star all-rounder became the first cricketer in the world to play 50 matches in the ICC T20 World Cup. With his special milestone, Perry overtook Indian icon Rohit Sharma, who holds the record for the most T20 World Cup appearances in men's cricket with 47 matches.
Only three women cricketers have played more Women's T20 World Cup matches than Ellyse Perry. New Zealand's Suzie Bates and Australia's Alyssa Healy each have 42 wins in the tournament, while India's Harmanpreet Kaur has been part of 41 matches.
Six titles, 558 runs and 42 wickets: Perry's incredible legacy
The 35-year-old star has been a part of every Women's T20 World Cup since the tournament started in 2009. She made her T20 World Cup debut against New Zealand in Taunton and went on to become one of the biggest reasons behind Australia's dominance in the global events.
Over the years, Perry has helped Australia win six Women's T20 World Cup titles. Her experience, consistency, and all-round skills have made her one of the most valuable players in the history of the tournament. She had scored 558 runs and taken 42 wickets in the Women's T20 World Cup.
Ellyse Perry's consistency
She is currently the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament's history. Perry is already regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders the game has ever seen. She made her T20I debut as a teenager in 2008 and became a key member of the Australian team. Perry was also the first player in cricket history to complete the rare double of 1,000 T20I runs and 100 T20I wickets.
Her consistency over the years has been remarkable. Australia has played 52 Women's T20 World Cup matches so far, and Perry has featured in 50 matches. The only games she missed came during the 2020 tournament when a hamstring injury kept her out of the semifinal and final.
Ellyse Perry reacts to massive World Cup milestone
Before the match, Perry said that she feels very lucky and proud to have represented Australia in so many T20 World Cups, and she still can't believe she has reached this incredible milestone.
Perry told Cricket Australia before the historic clash: “It's always just incredibly awesome to be a part of a World Cup, to be a part of an Australian team. It's a special team to play cricket for. I feel incredibly fortunate to have done it for a period of time, and I think certainly over the journey of T20 World Cups and the experience that we've had at every single one of them, they've all been unique and different. I can't believe I've played 50.”
