Babar Azam, Pakistan captain, has become the fastest batsman to complete 7,000 runs in T20 cricket. Babar Azam has managed to surpass destructive Windies opening batsman Chris Gayle and talismanic Indian skipper Virat Kohli on the elite list.
The Pakistan captain added another feather to his illustrious cap as he further cemented his status as one of the best batsmen in cricket’s modern era. Touted as the next big thing in world cricket, the Pakistan skipper became the fastest batsman to complete 7,000 runs in the shortest format of the game. The Pakistan skipper achieved the massive feat in the action-packed National T20 Cup on Sunday.
Babar Azam Surpasses Chris Gayle And Virat Kohli To Become Fastest To Score 7000 T20 Runs
In contention, several marquee players from Pakistan’s white-ball squad selected in the T20I World Cup squad and in contention are plying their trade in the fiercely contested domestic tournament. After the postponement of the bilateral series with New Zealand and England, the National T20 provides an opportunity for Pakistani players to fine-tune their skills ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
Leading Central Punjab from the front in the National T20 Cup, Babar Azam showcased his batting exploits and slammed a quick-fire half-century to help his side get over the finish line.
Playing a gritty knock against Southern Punjab in his 187th innings, Babar Azam completed 7,000 runs in the game’s shortest format. Babar Azam’s unbeaten 59-run knock ensured Southern Punjab registered their sixth straight loss in the T20 tournament.
The premier batsman of the Green Army has managed to surpass West Indies batsman Chris Gayle and Indian batsman Virat Kohli by becoming the fastest player to score 7000 runs in T20 cricket. Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli have played together for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.
Babar Azam Joined Rohit Sharma And Shane Watson As He Recorded His 6th T20 Century In Pakistan National T20 Cup
Windies legend Chris Gayle had achieved the same feat in 192 innings. Babar Azam, who is also the leading run-scorer in the National T20 Cup, had earlier smashed his 6th T20 hundred to overtake Indian skipper Virat Kohli in an elite list. Babar Azam had joined Rohit Sharma and Shane Watson in the list of batters with the most number of centuries in T20 cricket.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli has 5 centuries to his name, while Babar Azam, Rohit Sharma, and Shane Watson have all smashed six centuries in their respective T20 careers. The talismanic batsman of the Green Army will lead former champions Pakistan in T20 World Cup. Babar Azam-led Pakistan will open their World Cup campaign against Virat Kohli’s Team India on October 24.
In the Pakistan National T20 match between Southern Punjab and Central Punjab in Rawalpindi, Babar Azam reached the 7,000-run mark when he crossed 25 runs during Central Punjab’s chase of 120. In the process, he broke Chris Gayle’s record of reaching 7,000 runs in T20 cricket in 192 innings. Indian captain Virat Kohli reached the milestone in his 212th innings. Babar Azam took 187 innings to reach the milestone.
Of these 7,000 runs, Babar Azam has scored 2,204 runs in international T20I cricket in 61 matches at an average of 46.89 with one century and 20 half-centuries. Apart from this, he has scored 3,058 runs in franchise cricket — in 84 matches across Pakistan Super League, Caribbean Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League, and England’s Vitality Blast.