Babar Azam breaks Chris Gayle’s record

KARACHI: In the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11, Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam has achieved a major milestone by surpassing West Indies legend Chris Gayle to become the fastest player to reach 12,000 runs in T20 cricket.

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The landmark came during Zalmi’s match against Karachi Kings, where Babar Azam reached the milestone in his 338th innings, eclipsing Chris Gayle’s previous record of 345 innings. The achievement further strengthens Babar’s reputation as one of the most consistent performers in the shortest format of the game.

With this feat, Babar Azam has become only the 12th player in T20 history to cross the 12,000-run mark, and just the second Pakistani cricketer to reach the milestone after Shoaib Malik.

Gayle remains the highest run-scorer in T20 cricket with 14,562 runs in 455 innings, followed by his West Indies teammate Kieron Pollard, who has amassed 14,482 runs in 652 innings. England’s Alex Hales sits among the top run-getters with 14,449 runs in 423 innings, while David Warner has accumulated 14,121 runs in 434 innings.

The elite list also features modern greats such as Jos Buttler, Virat Kohli, Shoaib Malik, James Vince, Rohit Sharma, Faf du Plessis, and Quinton de Kock.

Babar Azam’s achievement highlights his remarkable consistency and longevity in T20 cricket, underlining his status among the modern greats of the game.

Earlier, former Pakistan cricket team captain, Babar Azam, ended speculation surrounding his batting position in the T20s.

Speaking to Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan team captain delivered a measured but definitive response to the long-standing debate.

Babar Azam outlined his role with clarity, stressing that his decision was motivated by the team’s structural needs rather than personal ambition.

“This tournament, I’ll be opening the innings. This position suits me. There’ll be different opinions, but the best position for me is where the team needs me,” Babar said.