Babar Azam Can Break Virat Kohli's 50 ODI Centuries Record - Kamran Akmal

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has made a bold prediction as he names Babar Azam as someone who can break Virat Kohli’s record. Virat Kohli created history on Wednesday (November 15) during the first semi-final match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which was played between India and New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The 35-year-old batting maestro became the first player in history to score 50 centuries in ODI cricket. He went past the long-standing world record of 49 ODI centuries set by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Virat Kohli’s 50th ODI hundred came on Tendulkar’s home ground on the day when Sachin made his international debut for India, 34 years ago, as a 16-year-old kid against Pakistan in Karachi during a Test match.

Sachin Tendulkar amassed 49 ODI centuries in 463 matches throughout his 24-year-old long career. However, Virat Kohli took 172 innings less than Tendulkar to break this record by scoring 50 ODI centuries. Meanwhile, the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is third on this elite list with 31 centuries to his name in the ODI format.

Kamran Akmal Believes Babar Azam And Shubman Gill Can Break Virat Kohli’s Record

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal believes that Babar Azam can break Virat Kohli’s record in the future. Kamran Akmal sees Babar Azam and Shubman Gill as the ones who can target this record of Virat. He said that only a top-order batter would be able to break this record.

“Only Top order batters will be able to break 50 hundreds record. Middle-order batsmen can’t break it. We have Babar Azam who can do it. He plays in Top-3. They (India) have (Shubman) Gill, who can follow this record,” Akmal said on ARY News.

Babar Azam has 19 centuries to his name in 117 ODIs so far. He recently resigned from the captaincy role on Wednesday (November 15) after Pakistan failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup 2023. Under his leadership, Pakistan lost five matches out of nine in the World Cup and faced four consecutive defeats including a heartbreaking one against Afghanistan.

Babar did not have an auspicious tournament with the bat as well. He averaged 40 in the World Cup scoring 320 runs without a single century to his name.