Babar Azam equals Virat Kohli’s record in T20Is

DUBLIN: Pakistan captain Babar Azam on Friday equalled record of India ace batter Virat Kohli record in Twenty20 internationals during his side’s first T20I against Ireland.

During today’s match, the Pakistan batter played a 57-run knock, comprising eight boundaries and a six.

Babar Azam now has 38 fifty-plus scores to his name, which came in 108 innings, one less than Viral Kohli. He has also scored three centuries.

Most fifty-plus scores in T20Is

Babar Azam: 38 in 108 innings

Virat Kohl: 38 in 109 innings

Rohit Sharma: 34 in 143 innings

Mohammad Rizwan: 27 in 81 innings

David Warner: 27 in 103 innings

Babar Azam is also closing in on becoming the first Pakistan player to cross the 4000-run mark in T20Is. With a total of 3880 runs, he ranks third in the list of batsmen with the highest runs in T20I cricket, following behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

He was recently re-appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball captain will lead the Green Shirts in the upcoming T20I World Cup. He has now made the most appearances as a skipper in T20Is, breaking former Australian captain Aaron Finch’s record.

Meanwhile, Andy Balbirnie’s blistering 77-run knock after a combined bowling display led Ireland to stun Pakistan in the first T20I of the three-match series.

Set to chase 183, Ireland amassed the total for the loss of five wickets and a ball to spare, at the back of a strong third-wicket partnership between Harry Tector and Balbirnie.

The home side, however, had a contrasting start to the pursuit as they lost their captain Paul Stirling and Lorcan Tucker inside the batting powerplay with just 27 runs on the board.

Balbirnie and Tector then pulled the hosts out of trouble with a sensible partnership.

The duo added 77 runs for the third wicket before Imad Wasim provided a much-needed breakthrough to Pakistan by dismissing Tector, who scored 36 off 27 deliveries.

Ireland’s batting mainstay Balbirnie was then involved in an important partnership with George Dockrell.

Balbirnie then put together a brief 24-run partnership with Gareth Delany before finally perishing in the penultimate over with the home side needing 16 off eight deliveries.

Andy Balbirnie top-scored for Pakistan with 77 off 55 deliveries, peppered with 10 boundaries and two sixes.

Following his dismissal, Delany (10) and Curtis Campher (15) displayed nerves of steel and played match-winning cameos to guide Ireland to a historic victory.

Abbas Afridi took two wickets for Pakistan while Naseem Shah, Imad Wasim and Shaheen Shah Afridi picked one apiece.