SA vs PAK: Babar Azam breaks Chris Gayle's record to become the fastest batsman to 11000 T20 runs

Babar Azam scored 31 runs off 20 balls in the second SA vs PAK T20I.

Amid undergoing a slump in form, star Pakistan batsman Babar Azam broke one of Chris Gayle’s major T20 records during his knock in the second T20I against South Africa in the ongoing series.

South Africa and Pakistan met on Friday night in Centurion, where the hosts recorded a seven-wicket victory on the back of a sizzling century from Reeza Hendricks.

Batting first, Pakistan scored 206 runs with Saim Ayub being the top-scorer with 98*. Babar played a cameo of 31 runs off 20 balls. But it all went in vain courtesy of Hendricks’ blazing century.

En route his 31-run knock, Babar breached the landmark of 11000 T20 runs. Babar is the 11th batsman to pile up 11000 runs in the shortest format and the second Pakistani, after Shoaib Malik, to do so.

He became the fastest to do so in terms of innings. Babar Azam took 298 innings to reach the 11000 T20 runs milestone, breaking Chris Gayle’s record of 314 innings to this mark.

Fastest batsmen to 11000 runs in T20 cricket:

Babar Azam – 298 innings

Chris Gayle – 314 innings

David Warner – 330 innings

Virat Kohli – 337 innings

Azam has amassed 11020 T20 runs in 298 innings at an average of 43.38, hitting 11 centuries and 90 fifties in his career. Gayle continues to lead the tally of most T20 runs with 14562 runs that he piled up in 463 matches with 22 centuries and 88 fifties.

Babar also crossed the 14000-run mark in international cricket. With 14029 runs, Azam is Pakistan’s fifth-highest run-scorer across formats.

He is currently the second-highest run-scorer in T20Is with 4223 runs, sitting only eight runs behind Rohit Sharma. Babar has notched up three centuries and 36 half-centuries in his T20I career.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.