PAK vs NZ: Babar Azam Achieves Massive T20I Milestone But Fails To Break Virat Kohli's Record

Pakistan batter Babar Azam achieved a special feat in the T20Is but he failed to break the record of Indian great Virat Kohli. The former Men in Green skipper completed 3500 runs in T20Is and became the second quickest to achieve the feat in the shortest format of the game. 

Babar Azam achieved the feat in the recently concluded first T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand. The game between the two teams took place at Eden Park in Auckland, which witnessed a high-scoring game and over 400 runs being scored. 

Pakistan opted to field first but they didn’t have a great outing with the ball. Their bowlers were taken to the cleaners and looked clueless against the Kiwi batters. Fin Allen (34), Kane Williamson (57), Daryll Mitchell (61), and Mark Chapman (26) played vital hands that powered hosts to a total of 226 runs. 

In the run chase, Pakistan batters got starts but they failed to pile on that. Babar Azam was the only batter who made sure that he took the game as deep as possible. The former skipper came to bat at No.3 and took some time to get going as he looked tentative at the start. 

But once he had his eye in, he looked good to eyes. The right-hander played glorious shots in his innings and held the one end while wickets kept tumbling at the other. He didn’t get the desired support from his teammates and was the lone warrior for his team. 

After wickets fell in quick succession at the other end, Babar Azam took the onus to himself and took the attack to the New Zealand bowlers. He smashed them all over the park and single-handedly kept his team in the hunt for the chase. 

Babar Azam brought up his fifty and after that looked to smash every ball out of the park. He, however, perished after that and could carry on. The batter managed 57 runs off 35 balls and was the only player from his team to go past the 30-run mark with the bat in the game. 

Babar Azam batted with a strike rate of over 162 and also hit 2 fours and 2 sixes in his innings. His efforts went in vain as Pakistan suffered a disappointing loss of 46 runs. They were bundled out for just 180 runs as Tim Southee wrapped the innings quickly. The pacer picked 4 wickets and also completed 150 wickets in his T20I. career 

During the course of his innings, Babar Azam also completed 3500 runs. He became the first batter from Pakistan to achieve the feat. Overall, he became the second quickest to the milestone as he reached the milestone in 99 innings. 

PAK vs NZ: Quickest Innings to 3500 Runs in T20Is; Babar Azam falls three innings short of Virat Kohli’s record 

Virat Kohli is the batter who has scored 3500 runs in fewer innings than any other batter. The right-hander achieved the feat in just 96 innings. Babar Azam is behind him, having scored the runs in 99 innings. New Zealand batter Martin Guptill also features in the list as he scored 3500 runs in 118 innings. India captain Rohit Sharma is fourth as he reached the milestone in 126 innings.

Quickest Innings to 3500 Runs in T20Is; 

96 innings  – Virat Kohli (India)
99 innings  – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
118 innings – Martin Guptill (New Zealand)
126 innings – Rohit Sharma (India)