Babar Azam of Pakistan has once more made history by passing Indian legend Virat Kohli in T20 International (T20I) run-scorer rankings. Its Dunya News +2
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Babar reached this landmark during a match where his knock of 75 off 42 balls not only ensured Pakistan won but also saw him surpass Kohli’s total number of fifty-plus scores in T20Is; by doing so he established himself as having more 50+ scores in T20Is than him according to recent stats (according to Dunya News).
Early data indicated that Babar had overtaken Kohli to become the second highest T20I run scorer, amassing 4,192 runs against Kohli’s 4,188, according to ARY News and The Economic Times (T&ET).
Why this matters
Kohli has earned himself an immense status within world cricket; his consistent dominance across formats makes any record set by him carry weight. For Babar to surpass him in such an unpredictable format as T20I speaks volumes about both maturity and skill.
Babar’s accomplishment demonstrates his unparalleled status in white-ball cricket, cementing not only his place as Pakistan’s premier batter but also as one of the world’s most reliable batsmen in this form of the game.
Context of Achievement
Kohli retired from T20 Internationals following India’s 2024 T20 World Cup, having scored 4,188 runs.
Babar, however, continues to play T20Is giving him the opportunity to further extend his record in this format — something Kohli no longer has available to him.
It comes against a backdrop of global T20 cricket: batters are increasingly aggressively scoring runs, playing longer in T20 and, thus, statistical milestones like this are being reached faster.
Implications for Babar and Pakistan.
Babar sees his record not just as an individual achievement; rather, it serves to cement his place among global peers and to show Pakistan that their batting unit contains world-class performers capable of setting and breaking records.
Pakistan cricket’s records provide narratives beyond wins and losses, acting as positive talking points, drawing international attention, and helping build their brand and that of their leading players.
Even as breaking such records is impressive, it is also essential to remain mindful:
T20 cricket, by its nature, can be unpredictable and record breaking may occur more frequently than with longer formats; while significant, this does not make its outcome inviolate.
Statistics alone may not translate to team championships – cricket remains a team sport and records must go hand-in-hand with meaningful victories.
Comparing performances across eras, formats and contexts is difficult; Kohli had different requirements while Babar faced distinct hurdles during his era.
Given his amazing T20I run-scoring record, Babar will now look towards further improving his T20I run-scoring stats, adding fifty plus scores and helping Pakistan transition youthful promise into lasting team success.
Babar Azam’s achievement of breaking Virat Kohli’s T20I record marks an important moment in modern cricket, marking the transition of an important milestone from one generation to the next and showing how records continue to change over time.