KARACHI, April 9 – Babar Azam etched his name into the record books on Thursday by becoming the fastest batter to reach 12,000 runs in men’s Twenty20 cricket during a Pakistan Super League match at the National Bank Stadium.
Leading Peshawar Zalmi against Karachi Kings, Babar entered the contest needing just 13 runs to achieve the milestone. The right-hander crossed the 12,000-run mark in style, dispatching a delivery from Khushdil Shah for a six in the fourth over of the innings.
The 31-year-old reached the landmark in 338 innings, making him the quickest player in history to achieve the feat. He surpassed the previous record held by Chris Gayle, who took 345 innings to reach the same milestone. Virat Kohli and David Warner follow on the list, having taken 360 and 368 innings respectively.
Babar becomes the 12th batter overall to score more than 12,000 runs in men’s T20 cricket, joining an elite group that includes Kieron Pollard, Rohit Sharma and Pakistan’s veteran Shoaib Malik.
Despite Babar’s record-breaking achievement, Gayle continues to lead the all-time T20 run charts with 14,562 runs in 455 innings, followed closely by Pollard with 14,482 runs. Among active players, England’s Alex Hales and Jos Buttler also feature prominently on the list of leading run-scorers in the format.
Cricket analysts say Babar’s consistency across international and franchise cricket has been key to his rapid accumulation of runs. Known for his elegant stroke play and ability to anchor innings, he has remained one of the most prolific performers in T20 cricket over the past decade.
The milestone further strengthens Babar’s standing among the modern greats of the game and highlights his influence in the shortest format, as he continues to lead Peshawar Zalmi’s campaign in the ongoing PSL season.