Fastest ever! Babar Azam breaks Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli’s massive T20 record amid PSL 2026
Published - 10 Apr 2026, 10:52 AM
Pakistani star batter Babar Azam entered the record books during an ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) match at the National Stadium. The opening batter surpassed legendary West Indies batter Chris Gayle to become the fastest player to reach 12,000 runs in global T20 cricket history on Thursday evening.
Babar achieved this milestone during the match between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings. The right-handed batter remained unbeaten on 87 off 51 deliveries, including ten boundaries and two sixes. His team secured a 159-run victory in Karachi on Thursday, April 9, recording their third win in four matches.
Babar Azam Overtakes Chris Gayle as Fastest to 12,000 Runs in T20s
Babar Azam achieved the milestone in his 351st professional match. He needed just 13 runs before the match and reached the mark in the fourth over.
The Peshawar Zalmi captain reached the 12,000-run milestone in 338 innings. Chris Gayle previously held the record, taking 343 innings to get there. Indian star Virat Kohli is third on the list with 360 innings.
| Rank | Player Name | Country | Innings |
| 1 | Babar Azam | Pakistan | 338 |
| 2 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | 343 |
| 3 | Virat Kohli | India | 360 |
| 4 | David Warner | Australia | 368 |
Second Pakistani Player! Babar Joins Shoaib Malik in Elite Club
Babar Azam has become only the second Pakistani to go past 12,000 runs in T20 cricket. Shoaib Malik still leads the list among Pakistan players with 13,571 runs from 557 matches.
Babar is in second place with 12,074 runs in 351 matches. Mohammad Rizwan has scored 8,918 runs in 306 matches, while Fakhar Zaman has 8,631 runs from 334 games. Mohammad Hafeez is fifth with 7,946 runs in 374 matches.
| Player | Matches | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Shoaib Malik | 557 | 13,571 |
| Babar Azam | 351* | 12,074* |
| Mohammad Rizwan | 306 | 8,918 |
| Fakhar Zaman | 334 | 8,631 |
| Mohammad Hafeez | 374 | 7,946 |
| Ahmed Shehzad | 257 | 7,011 |
| Kamran Akmal | 291 | 6,775 |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | 320 | 6,134 |
| Umar Akmal | 279 | 5,839 |
| Sahibzada Farhan | 169 | 5,220 |
Peshawar Zalmi Thrash Karachi Kings After Babar Azam, Kusal Mendis Shine
Peshawar Zalmi dominated Karachi Kings in their recent Pakistan Super League match at the National Stadium. Captain Babar scored an unbeaten 87 off 51 deliveries, hitting ten boundaries and two sixes to provide a strong foundation.
Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis led the charge with an explosive 109, smashing 14 boundaries and four sixes to take the game away from the opposition. Abdul Samad also contributed a quick 40 off just 12 balls, helping Peshawar Zalmi post a huge total of 246.
Chasing a difficult target of 247, Karachi Kings suffered a major batting collapse early in their innings. The home side failed to build partnerships under scoreboard pressure and were eventually bowled out for just 87 runs.
Iftikhar Ahmed led the bowling effort for Peshawar Zalmi with three crucial wickets. Shoriful Islam and Sufiyan Muqeem also impressed, picking up three wickets each to dismantle the opposition. This comprehensive win significantly boosted Peshawar Zalmi’s net run rate in the ongoing tournament.
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Sai Vaitla is an author at Cricketaddictor and he has been working since September 2022. Sai Vaitla...