Babar Azam sets new record as fastest to 12,000 T20 runs

Babar Azam added another major achievement to his career on Thursday, becoming the fastest batter in men’s T20 cricket to reach 12,000 runs during Peshawar Zalmi’s PSL 11 match against Karachi Kings at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.

The right-hander came into the match needing 13 runs to reach the milestone, with 11,987 runs from 337 innings. He got there in style by hitting a six off Khushdil Shah on the third ball of the fourth over, taking his tally beyond 12,000 in his 338th innings.

With that, the 31-year-old became the 12th batter in men’s T20 history to cross the 12,000-run mark. His name now sits alongside some of the format’s biggest stars, including Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shoaib Malik.

What makes the feat even more impressive is the speed at which he got there. Babar reached the milestone in 338 innings, five fewer than Gayle, who had previously been the fastest with 343 innings. Kohli and David Warner follow further behind, having reached the mark in 360 and 368 innings respectively.

Gayle remains the leading run-scorer in men’s T20 cricket, with 14,562 runs in 455 innings, including 22 centuries and 88 half-centuries. Pollard is close behind with 14,482 runs, while Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik sits seventh on the all-time list with 13,571 runs in 515 innings.

Players with 12,000 or more runs in men’s T20 cricket include Chris Gayle with 14,562, Kieron Pollard with 14,482, Alex Hales with 14,449, David Warner with 14,121, Jos Buttler with 13,909, Virat Kohli with 13,612, Shoaib Malik with 13,571, James Vince with 13,102, Rohit Sharma with 12,361, Quinton de Kock with 12,322, Faf du Plessis with 12,041, and Babar Azam, who has now joined the list by going past the 12,000-run mark.