Babar Azam overtakes Virat Kohli, breaks Hashim Amla's world record in ODI cricket

Babar Azam has become the quickest batsman to complete 5000 ODI runs.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been in unreal consistency in limited overs cricket. Babar Azam is a prolific run-scorer for Pakistan in ODI and T20 formats. He has now touched a new milestone and broken a record in One Day Internationals. Babar Azam with another big innings against New Zealand, has become the quickest batsman to touch 5000 runs. Babar Azam broke the record of former South African opening batter Hashim Amla. Babar took 97 innings to complete 5000 runs in ODI cricket. Hashim Alma took 101 innings to complete his 5000 runs in ODI cricket. 

Babar Azam breaks Hashim Amla's record

Right-hand batter Babar Azam took only 15 innings to reach 5000 from 4000. Babar narrowly missed breaking Hashim Amla’s quickest 4000 runs record as well. Babar Azam completed 4000 ODI runs in 82 innings just one more from Hashim Amla. Babar Azam is the 13th Pakistani batter to score more than 5000 runs in the ODI format. Inzamam ul Haq is the leading run scorer for Pakistan in this format with 11,701 runs in 348 innings. Virat Kohli is the quickest Indian to touch 5000 runs in ODIs. Babar Azam has some unreal consistency in the ODIs. 

Unreal consistency of Babar Azam in ODIs

Babar Azam in his last 17 ODI innings since July 2021 against England has scored 14 fifty-plus scores. He narrowly missed a half-century against New Zealand in Rawalpindi in the first game of the ongoing ODI series. Azam has smashed 5 centuries and 9 half-centuries. Babar has scored his 18th ODI century against New Zealand at National Stadium in Karachi. Babar got out twice with single-digit scores in the last 18 innings. Babar is currently the number one ranked ODI batter in the ICC rankings.

Babar made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2015. He announced his arrival in international cricket in style by scoring 54 runs in his first ODI innings. Babar Azam has played 98 ODIs in his career (excluding Friday’s game against New Zealand), and he has scored 4981 runs at an average of 59.29. His strike rate is also impressive, he has batted with a strike rate of 89.26. Babar has smashed 17 ODI centuries and 26 half-centuries.