Babar Azam has made history in the world of cricket by becoming the fastest batter to reach 10,000 runs in T20 cricket, surpassing the previous record held by the legendary Chris Gayle for nearly seven years.
The remarkable milestone was achieved by Babar Azam on February 21 while representing Peshawar Zalmi in a match against the Karachi Kings in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
Breaking Chris Gayle’s long-standing record, Babar accomplished this extraordinary feat in his 271st innings. Gayle had achieved the milestone in his 285th innings while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 match against the Gujarat Lions in Rajkot.
Following Babar’s record-breaking performance, the illustrious Virat Kohli and David Warner occupy the 3rd and 4th positions on the list, achieving the 10,000-run milestone in 299 and 303 innings respectively.
In the opening match of the PSL tournament against the Quetta Gladiators, Babar Azam also became the first batter in PSL history to reach the 3000-run landmark. Although he was poised to surpass the 10,000-run mark in that match, his innings was cut short by a dismissal from Abrar Ahmed.
Displaying his exceptional form, Babar Azam notched a half-century off just 29 balls, eventually compiling 68 runs off 42 deliveries, which included 4 boundaries and 4 sixes.
During his innings, he also contributed to a notable partnership of 91 runs for the opening wicket in a mere 8.4 overs. Despite Babar’s stellar performance, Zalmi fell short in the match against the Gladiators, losing by a margin of 16 runs.
Renowned for his proficiency across all three cricket formats, Babar Azam’s form may have dipped slightly during the Test series against Australia. However, he showcased his exemplary skills during the T20I series.
With the highly-anticipated T20 World Cup 2024 scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the USA, Pakistan will undoubtedly look to Babar Azam to deliver exceptional performances as they aim for success on the international stage.