During his first World Cup match against the US at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Thursday, Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, secured his position as the highest run-scorer in T20Is, accumulating a total of 4,067 runs.
This achievement propelled him past India’s Virat Kohli, who previously held the record with 4,038 runs. Babar’s contribution of 44 runs from 43 balls further solidified his standing as he surpassed Kohli’s tally during the game.
Prior to this match, Babar held the third position on the all-time list with 4,023 runs. His impressive track record includes 36 half-centuries and three centuries in this format.
Leading Run Scorers in T20Is:
- Babar Azam – 4067 runs
- Virat Kohli – 4038 runs
- Rohit Sharma – 4026 runs
In the meantime, Pakistan set a target of 160 runs for the United States. The USA’s bowlers made an impressive start, dismissing Pakistani top-order batsmen Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, and Fakhar Zaman for just 26 runs.
However, despite the early setbacks, skipper Babar Azam and Shadab Khan played cautiously, stabilizing the Pakistani innings. Their partnership of 72 runs helped Pakistan regain control of the match, but Shadab departed after scoring 40 runs off 25 balls.
Shortly after Shadab’s dismissal, wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan was out for a golden duck, and Pakistan continued to lose wickets.
Babar Azam contributed 44 runs off 43 balls, while Iftikhar Ahmed scored 18 runs before departing. Towards the end of the innings, Shaheen Afridi’s quickfire 23 runs off 16 balls proved crucial for Pakistan as they reached a total of 159-7 in their allotted overs.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf
