Babar Azam Becomes Fastest to 12,000 T20 Runs

Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam added another milestone to his career during PSL 11, reaching 12000 runs in men’s T20 cricket in the match against Karachi Kings at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.

Babar Azam’s 12000 T20 runs landmark was achieved when he struck Khushdil Shah for a six over mid-on on the third ball of the fourth over. He had entered the match on 11987 runs from 337 innings and crossed the mark in his 338th innings.

Elite company in T20 history

With this achievement, Babar became only the 12th batter in men’s T20 history to surpass 12000 runs. He joins an elite group that includes Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and fellow Pakistan great Shoaib Malik.

Notably, Babar reached the milestone faster than anyone else, taking just 338 innings. This is five innings fewer than Gayle, who had previously been the quickest to the mark with 343 innings. Kohli and David Warner follow on the list with 360 and 368 innings respectively.

Where Babar stands among the greats

Chris Gayle continues to lead the all-time run charts in men’s T20 cricket with 14562 runs in 455 innings, including 22 centuries and 88 fifties. Kieron Pollard sits second with 14482 runs.

Shoaib Malik, another Pakistani stalwart, holds seventh place with 13571 runs in 515 innings.

Below is the full list of players with more than 12000 runs in men’s T20s:

Chris Gayle (West Indies) – 14562 runs in 455 innings
Kieron Pollard (West Indies) – 14482 runs in 652 innings
Alex Hales (England) – 14449 runs in 523 innings
David Warner (Australia) – 14121 runs in 434 innings
Jos Buttler (England) – 13909 runs in 466 innings
Virat Kohli (India) – 13612 runs in 398 innings
Shoaib Malik (Pakistan) – 13571 runs in 515 innings
James Vince (England) – 13102 runs in 470 innings
Rohit Sharma (India) – 12361 runs in 452 innings
Quinton de Kock (South Africa) – 12322 runs in 439 innings
Faf du Plessis (South Africa) – 12041 runs in 431 innings
Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 11944 runs in 349 innings

Reaching 12000 T20 runs further strengthens Babar Azam’s standing among the leading batters in the format. Milestones like this reflect consistency and longevity, key attributes in T20 cricket, where maintaining performance across leagues and international matches is crucial.

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