Babar Azam has embedded himself into cricketing history by tying for the fastest player to score 6000 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs), another naming for Hashim Amla from South Africa.
He attained the milestone in a record-equalling number of 123 innings-striking the record for the number of innings needed to reach 6000 fastest raised by Pakistan’s earlier best Saeed Anwar, who had taken 162 innings to get there. In this view, the reigning Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli would be sitting in the third spot with 6000 runs in his 136 innings.
123 innings: Babar matched Hashim Amla’s record of reaching 6000 runs in the fewest number of innings.
Batting average: Babar also had an astounding batting average of 55.73 at the time of completion of 6000 runs-the highest any player has held for that period of men’s ODI cricket with the earlier milestone set by Australian Michael Bevan with an average of 54.70.
Fastest to Reach 5000 and 4000 ODI Runs
5000 Runs: Babar became the fastest player in history to reach 5000 ODI runs, getting there in just 97 innings.
4000 Runs: He is the second fastest to 4000 runs in ODIs, getting there in 81 innings-one behind Amla.
Babar’s Journey to 6000 ODI Runs:
Age and Milestones: The 30 years and 122 days-old Babar is the fourth player from Pakistan to reach the mark of 6000 ODI runs and behind Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, and Shahid Afridi as these three reached the mark at a younger age.
Century Record: With 19 ODI hundreds, Babar has the second-most hundreds for Pakistan in ODIs, just one behind the 20 holds by Saeed Anwar. Hitting his 19th while in his 102nd innings to be the fastest ever to reach the number in ODI’s history.
Comparison with Other Contemporaries
Babar is one of the top three run-getters since his ODI debut, with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma having 7426 and 6768 runs, respectively. His 19 hundred place him third among all players during this time.
Hat-Trick of Hundreds
Unique Record: Babar is the only player to have hit a hat-trick of hundreds on two occasions in ODI cricket. His first hat-trick was in 2016 against the West Indies, while he accomplished the record again against Australia and the West Indies in 2022.
Read More
Babar’s recent century form: The string of failures began after his last three-figure score in August 2023, when he scored 151 runs against Nepal. Since then, he has scored only 666 runs in some 21 One-day international innings, averaging only 37.
Regardless of his mediocre performance since his last ton, his run tally of 3086 runs and an average of 67.08 in 50 innings makes him one of the best in men’s ODI cricket, having scored 11 centuries and 19 half-centuries.
Babar Azam’s rapid rise in ODI cricket seals him as one of the best batsmen of the modern era. His knack for breaking records and his consistency unify him into the elite of the game, all while fans keenly stand by to see how he continues to evolve as a player over the years.
ALSO READ: D Gukesh’s Trainer Challenges Magnus Carlsen At Norway Chess
