On Thursday in Karachi, Babar Azam was more than a response to the people who have criticized him; he was an answer to his critics with an accomplishment that will be part of cricket’s statistics for decades. As a member of Peshawar Zalmi, Babar Azam became the fastest player in T20 history to score 12,000 runs in 338 innings. Previously Chris Gayle held that record at 343 innings, and now Virat Kohli is third on that list with 360 innings. David Warner and Jos Buttler are below Kohli on the list. Babar’s milestone was achieved shortly after he was criticized for not being able to finish a chase against Hyderabad Kingsmen, which made that response to Babar’s critics even more emphatic.
It was remarkable how Babar was able to take control of the pressure situation, being that he was only 13 runs short from completing the 12,000-run club before reaching that milestone in the 4th over of Zalmi’s innings and eventually finishing with a total of 87 runs (not out) off 51 balls (including 10 fours and 2 sixes). This was not just an accomplished offensive performance by Babar; it also was much more about making an emphatic statement regarding his ability to command the game from the very first delivery he faced during the course of the innings. The other partner for Babar in this commanding second-wicket stand of 191 runs was Kusal Mendis, allowing Peshawar Zalmi to achieve a total of 246 runs for 3 wickets from their allotted 20 overs.
Milestone achievements have far-reaching significance. Babar is the second player from Pakistan, after Shoaib Malik, to surpass 12000 runs in T20 Internationals. Babar has solidified himself as a great player due to his T20 run-scoring ability and will be considered for T20 all-time greatness. Babar’s T20 accomplishments demonstrate that he has been able to consistently increase his run output over a period of time and adjust to the changing landscape of the game as it pertains to the environment. T20 batting is not determined by raw power, but rather by consistency and the ability to adapt as the game continues to evolve. Through Babar’s career up to the present at all levels of cricket, it clearly suggests that he has become one of the best players in T20s and cricket as a whole based on his level of performance thus far.
The match didn’t provide much excitement after Zalmi posted their score. When Karachi Kings attempted to chase the total of 247 runs, it resulted in a complete collapse and an all-out score of 87 runs, due to an aggressive bowling display made by Iftikhar Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Sufiyan Muqeem—who were each able to take three wickets in the innings. Clearly, there was a huge difference between the two teams; however, the largest part of the story was Babar—who came to this match with many questions surrounding his play but departed with a record that answers those questions conclusively and in many more ways than any press conference could provide. In cricket, where the narrative can change rapidly, innings like these make as much noise as needed to be heard on the biggest stage of all with very little volume necessary.
