HIGHLIGHTS
- Babar Azam got to 2000 runs in T20I cricket in his 52nd innings
- Virat Kohli had taken 56 innings to get to the 2000-run mark
- Mohammad Rizwan broke the record for most runs by a wicketkeeper in a calendar year
Pakistan captain Babar Azam entered record books on Sunday during the 3rd T20I against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club as he went past 2000 runs in the shortest format of the game. Babar broke the record set by India captain Virat Kohli for the fastest man to get to the landmark in T20I cricket.
Babar Azam went past the 2000-run mark in his 52nd innings on Sunday, getting there 4 innings faster than Virat Kohli who now has 3159 runs in 84 innings. Babar also became the 11th batsman overall in international cricket and the third Pakistan batsman after Mohammad Hafeez (2388) and Shoaib Malik (2335) to go past the 2000-run mark in T20 cricket.
Babar Azam also went past the likes of Aaron Finch, former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill on the list of fastest batters to get to the landmark.
Fastest to 2000 runs in men's T20I
Babar Azam - 52 innings
Virat Kohli - 56 innings
Aaron Finch - 62 innings
Brendon McCullum - 66 innings
Martin Guptill - 68 innings
Babar Azam hit his 17h T20I fifty on Sunday as he helped Pakistan post an above-par total of 163 for 3 in 20 overs in the T20I series decider against Zimbabwe in Harare. Babar, who finished the beating innings with 2035 runs, hit 5 boundaries after opener Mohammad Rizwan hit a 60-ball 91 not out.
Rizwan sets new T20I record
Notably, Rizwan has been in tremendous form for Pakistan in 2021. The wicketkeeper-batsman broke the record for the most runs by a wicketkeeper-batsman in a calendar year in T20Is when he went past Afghanistan player Mohammad Shahzad's tally of 520 runs. Rizwan has 530 from just 10 matches.
Notably, Pakistan are facing a must-win situation as they were handed a shock defeat in the 2nd T20I by Zimbabwe. Pakistan had headed to Zimbabwe after beating South Africa in a T20I series where Babar hit his maiden T20I hundred.
