Pakistan’s batting maestro, Babar Azam, made history on Friday by becoming the leading run-scorer in men’s T20 Internationals, eclipsing India’s Rohit Sharma. This monumental achievement came as Pakistan delivered a crushing nine-wicket defeat to South Africa, brilliantly leveling their three-match series at 1-1.
Babar, who was making his return to the T20 squad after almost a year, needed just nine runs to surpass Rohit Sharma’s impressive tally of 4,231 runs. The former Pakistan captain reached this significant milestone with characteristic calm, nudging a single off spinner Donovan Ferreira. He remained unbeaten on 11 runs, pushing his career total to 4,234 runs in 130 matches. His T20I career now boasts 36 half-centuries and three centuries, all achieved at a striking rate of 129.
This record-breaking moment offers a sweet redemption for the 31-year-old, who had frustratingly missed the chance to break the record in the previous match after a rare two-ball duck. His return to form and the T20 setup is particularly timely, especially after facing criticism following his exclusion from the Asia Cup, where Pakistan struggled against arch-rivals India.
Most Runs in Men’s T20 Internationals:
- 4,234 – Babar Azam
- 4,231 – Rohit Sharma
- 4,188 – Virat Kohli
- 3,869 – Jos Buttler
- 3,710 – Paul Stirling
While Babar’s personal milestone garnered much attention, it was the explosive batting of young Saim Ayub that truly propelled Pakistan to their emphatic win. Ayub, who had a challenging Asia Cup campaign with four ducks, rediscovered his brilliant touch, smashing an unbeaten 71 runs off just 38 deliveries. His innings, studded with five sixes and six fours, guided Pakistan to comfortably chase down South Africa’s target of 111 runs in a mere 13.1 overs.
Post-match, captain Salman Ali Agha lauded Ayub’s potential, stating, “Saim is someone who can play for the next 10 years and become the player we all want him to be.” Agha also praised the team’s bowling effort: “We bowled really well up front, and when you bowl that well you’re always going to win the game.”
Earlier in the match, Pakistan’s bowlers had put up a dominant display, dismantling the South African lineup for just 110 runs. Salman Mirza (3-14) and Faheem Ashraf (4-23) were the chief destroyers, sharing an impressive seven wickets between them.
South Africa’s stand-in captain, Donovan Ferreira, candidly admitted his team was outplayed, acknowledging the impact of changing pitch conditions: “There isn’t much time to reflect. The wicket got a lot better with the dew settling. You just have to move on.”
With the series now perfectly balanced at 1-1, the third and final T20 match promises a thrilling decider on Saturday. All eyes will be on Babar Azam, the newly crowned king of T20I runs, as both teams vie for series glory.