Babar Equals Kohli, Abhishek Record

Babar Azam, who had previously been frequently compared with Virat Kohli, found himself once again part of statistical discussions following a century in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The comparison is presented purely in terms of records and figures rather than qualitative assessment.

In a PSL Qualifier held in Karachi, Babar Azam, captain of Peshawar Zalmi, scored 103 runs off 59 deliveries against Islamabad United. His innings contributed to a 70-run victory, which secured Zalmi’s place in the final. He was also named Player of the Match for his performance.

Following this century, Babar Azam moved alongside Virat Kohli and Abhishek Sharma in a notable T20 statistic. Kohli and Abhishek Sharma have each registered eight T20 centuries in a single country, which had stood as the highest such tally. By reaching eight T20 centuries in Pakistan, Babar Azam has now equalled this figure in his own domestic context.

Babar Azam has also achieved a leading position in another T20 record. With his most recent century, he moved to nine centuries as captain in T20 cricket, surpassing South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, who had previously shared the record with him at eight. Overall, Babar Azam now has 13 centuries in T20 cricket.

In the Pakistan Super League, Babar Azam has equalled Usman Khan’s record of four centuries. However, there is a difference in the number of innings taken to reach this milestone: Usman Khan achieved his four centuries in 35 innings, whereas Babar required 108 innings.

In the current PSL season, Babar Azam has scored two centuries. Across 10 innings, he has accumulated 588 runs. This places him close to the record for most runs in a single PSL season, previously set by Fakhar Zaman, who scored 588 runs in 13 innings during the 2022 edition. With Peshawar Zalmi progressing to the final, Babar Azam has the opportunity to extend his season tally further.

Following the match, Babar Azam commented on his performance, stating that he felt he was returning to his best form. He added that he is focusing on simplicity in his approach and maintaining confidence in his abilities. He also noted that his batting plan involves assessing pitch conditions, handling different bowlers appropriately, and deciding when to play aggressively according to match situations.

Key statistical summary

This performance has placed Babar Azam alongside several leading statistical benchmarks in T20 cricket, both as a batsman and as a captain, across international and franchise-level records.