KARACHI: Babar Azam made history on Thursday by becoming the fastest batter to reach 12,000 runs in men’s T20 cricket during his side’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 match against Karachi Kings at the National Bank Stadium.
The right-handed batter began the match with 11,987 runs from just 337 innings and completed the milestone by smashing a six off Karachi Kings bowler Khushdil Shah on the third ball of the fourth over.
As a result, the 31-year-old became only the 12th batter in men’s T20 history to cross the 12,000-run mark, joining elite names such as Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik in the exclusive list.
Notably, Babar Azam is the fastest among all 12 players to reach the milestone, achieving it in just 338 innings—five fewer than Gayle, who reached it in 345 innings. He is followed by Kohli (360 innings) and Australia’s David Warner (368 innings).
Gayle still leads the all-time men’s T20 run charts with 14,562 runs in 455 innings, including 22 centuries and 88 half-centuries, followed closely by Pollard with 14,482 runs.
Pakistan’s legendary all-rounder Shoaib Malik sits seventh on the overall list with 13,571 runs in 515 innings.
Batters with 12,000+ runs in men’s T20s:
- Chris Gayle (West Indies) – 14,562 runs in 455 innings
- Kieron Pollard (West Indies) – 14,482 runs in 652 innings
- Alex Hales (England) – 14,449 runs in 523 innings
- David Warner (Australia) – 14,121 runs in 434 innings
- Jos Buttler (England) – 13,909 runs in 466 innings
- Virat Kohli (India) – 13,612 runs in 398 innings
- Shoaib Malik (Pakistan) – 13,571 runs in 515 innings
- James Vince (England) – 13,102 runs in 470 innings
- Rohit Sharma (India) – 12,361 runs in 452 innings
- Quinton de Kock (South Africa) – 12,322 runs in 439 innings
- Faf du Plessis (South Africa) – 12,041 runs in 431 innings
- Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 12,031 runs in 338 innings
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