Babar Azam breaks T20 record; joins Virat Kohli, Abhishek Sharma in elite list

Babar Azam The captain’s knock came under pressure to smash his second century of the ongoing Pakistan Super League season to lead Peshawar Zalmi into the final against Islamabad United in Karachi.Babar led the way, scoring an outstanding 103 runs off 59 deliveries, an innings with 12 boundaries and 4 sixes. His efforts saw Zalmi post a respectable 221/7 on what was considered a tricky surface. A strong total proved to be enough as Islamabad United emerged victorious in the qualifying round with a score of 151 runs.While Babar dominated the innings, he was well supported by the likes of Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis and Aaron Hardy, who kept the scoring rate high at the other end.This century also marks Babar’s fourth century PSL Historically, he equaled Usman Khan’s record of hundreds of matches in the tournament. His stability this season has been outstanding. His current score has reached 588 points, tying the previous record by Farha Zaman 2022.On the wider stage, Babar also etched his name in the history of T20, setting a new benchmark for the most centuries by a captain in the format. This is his ninth T20 hundred as captain, surpassing Fife du Plessisa record he had earlier shared with him.Most T20 captains:Babar Azam – 9Faf du Plessis – 8Michael Klinger – 7Virat Kohli – 5James Vince – 5Reflecting on his performance, Babar praised his preparation and approach. “I’m starting to feel like I’m getting back into top form. I’m trying to keep things simple, trust my skills, execute the game according to the situation – what the pitch demands, how to handle different bowlers, and when to attack. The hard work I put in before the PSL is paying off now,” he said.There’s more to celebrate for the Pakistan skipper as he also shares a partnership with Virat Kohli and Abhishek Sharma In another noteworthy category. Babar has now scored eight T20 centuries in Pakistan, equaling the record of hundreds by a batsman from a single country.