Babar Azam on verge of surpassing Virat Kohli

Pakistan star batter Babar Azam is on the verge of achieving two major milestones during the upcoming ODI series against South Africa, starting on Tuesday at the Iqbal Stadium.

The former Pakistan captain has so far scored 19 centuries in ODI cricket, with the last one occurring in 2023 against Nepal.

He is only one century away from equalling the record for the most centuries in ODI cricket by a Pakistani batter, currently held by the legendary Saeed Anwar, who scored a total of 20 centuries.

Saeed scored 20 centuries during his illustrious career, which spanned 247 matches and 244 innings. Meanwhile, Babar has played 134 ODI matches so far.

In the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, he has the opportunity to equal or even break Saeed’s record if he scores two centuries.

Most ODI Centuries for Pakistan

Saeed Anwar – 20 centuries in 247 matches

Babar Azam – 19* centuries in 134 matches

Mohammad Yousuf – 15 centuries in 281 matches

Fakhar Zaman – 11 centuries in 82 matches

Mohammad Hafeez – 11 centuries in 218 matches

Moreover, Babar Azam has the opportunity to become the second-fastest batsman in ODI history to score 20 centuries.

The record for the fastest to reach this milestone is held by South Africa’s Hashim Amla, who accomplished it in 108 innings.

He is followed by Indian batting legend Virat Kohli, who reached 20 centuries in 133 innings.

Currently, with 19 centuries in 131 innings, Babar stands a good chance of breaking Kohli’s record if he scores his 20th century in his next innings.

Fastest Players to 20 ODI Centuries

Hashim Amla – 108 innings

Virat Kohli – 133 innings

AB de Villiers – 175 innings

Rohit Sharma – 183 innings

Recently, Babar Azam made a return to Pakistan’s T20I team, showcasing his determination to regain his form.

In the third and final match of the series against South Africa, he scored a brilliant half-century to help his team clinch the series 2-1.

This knock marked his first half-century in T20Is since his 75 runs against Ireland back in May 2024.