The right-handed batter reached the 12,000-run milestone in T20 cricket in his 338th innings.
KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi skipper 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 clash against Karachi Kings at the National Bank Stadium.
The right-handed batter came into the match with 11,987 runs from 337 innings and brought up the 12,000-run milestone with a six off 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 reach the milestone, joining greats such as West Indies’ Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, India’s Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik on the elite list.
Notably, Babar is the fastest among them to cross the 12,000-run mark, achieving the feat in just 338 innings—five fewer than Chris Gayle, who did it in 345 innings. He is followed by Kohli and Australia’s David Warner, who reached the milestone in 360 and 368 innings respectively.
Meanwhile, Gayle remains at the top of the all-time T20 run scorers with 14,562 runs in 455 innings, including 22 centuries and 88 half-centuries, closely followed by compatriot Pollard with 14,482 runs.
Former Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik sits seventh on the 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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