Babar Azam Equals Virat Kohli’s Record Of Fastest To Reach 3000 T20I Runs

New Delhi: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has equalled Virat Kohli’s record of fastest batter to reach 3000 T20I runs. Pakistan are currently hosting England for a seven-match T20I series. The tour is historic in many ways as England are visiting Pakistan for the first time in 17 years.

It has been a very competitive series with both England and Pakistan winning three games apiece, with one game to play. The series was levelled after England defeated Pakistan by eight wickets in the sixth T20I.

Put into bat, Pakistan posted a decent score of 169-6 in their 20 overs. Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan’s most consistent batter, wasn’t part of the team for the 6th T20I and the onus of taking Pakistan to a decent score was on Babar Azam.

Babar has blown hot and cold in the series. He scored a century in the second T20I but didn’t had good outings in the remaining games. However, he was at his peak in the sixth T20I and played a blazing knock of 87 off 59 balls to help Pakistan reach 169.

With this inning, Babar Azam levelled with Virat Kohli as the fastest batter to reach 3000 T20I runs. Both Virat Kohli and Babar Azam reached the landmark in their 81st innings. Azam has now joined Rohit Sharma (3,694 runs in 140 matches), Virat Kohli (3,663 in 108), Martin Guptill (3,497 in 112) and Paul Stirling (3,011 in 114) in an elite list of players with 3000+ runs in T20Is.

Meanwhile, Babar’s knock was not enough for Pakistan to win the game as England batters tormented Pakistan bowling, leading the team to a win with eight wickets and 33 balls to spare. Phil Salt scored a magnificent 88 off 41 balls to guide England to a series levelling win.