PAK vs AUS: Babar Azam surpasses Virat Kohli in T20I cricket

Former Pakistan white-ball captain Babar Azam has now secured the second spot in the list of all-time leading run-scorers in men's T20Is, overtaking India’s Virat Kohli. 

This achievement came after Babar Azam's 41-run performance in the final T20I clash against Australia in Hobart.

The 30-year-old has now accumulated 4,192 runs, surpassing Kohli’s tally of 4,188 runs. Rohit Sharma remains at the top with 4,231 runs, and Babar is just 40 runs away from breaking this record.

Notably, the right-hand batter is now one of only two Pakistani batters in the Top 10 of T20I run-scorers, alongside Mohammad Rizwan who has scored 3329 runs in the shorter-format.

The final T20I encapsulated Pakistan’s struggles. After opting to bat, the team was bundled out for a meager 117 in 18.1 overs. Babar Azam stood out with a fighting knock of 41 runs off 28 balls, including four boundaries at a strike rate of 146.42. Haseebullah Khan contributed a quickfire 24 off 19 balls.

Australia’s bowlers dominated, with Aaron Hardie claiming 3 wickets, while Spencer Johnson and Adam Zampa grabbed two scalps each.

In response, Australia chased the target in just 11.2 overs, led by a blistering 61 off 27 balls from Marcus Stoinis, whose innings featured five boundaries and five sixes. Skipper Josh Inglis added 27 runs. Shaheen Afridi, Jahandad Khan, and Abbas Afridi picked up a wicket each, but their efforts couldn’t prevent a crushing loss.

In the T20I series opener, Pakistan fell 14 runs short, bowled out for 134 while chasing 148. In a rain-affected 2nd T20I match, Australia successfully defended just 94 runs, limiting Pakistan to 64/9.

Pakistan’s tour began on a high note, with the team winning the ODI series 2-1—marking their first ODI series win in Australia in 22 years.