Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam is going through a lean patch with the bat in ODIs, having not scored a hundred in the format for over two years.
On Friday, Babar again failed to deliver, making 29 off 34 balls while opening the batting in the tri-nation final against New Zealand in Karachi, which the hosts eventually lost by five wickets.
However, the right-hander reached a notable career milestone during his brief stay at the crease, becoming the joint-fastest to complete 6000 runs in ODIs alongside South Africa’s Hashim Amla. Babar just like Amla took 123 innings to reach the milestone.
Babar’s ascendency pushed India’s Virat Kohli to third position in the list, who had completed 6000 ODI runs in 136 innings, meaning Babar is now the fastest batter from Asia to reach the milestone as well.
The Pakistani batter also claimed another record as his current average of 55.73 is the highest for any batter when reaching 6000 ODI runs. He overtook Australian great Michael Bevan, who averaged 54.70 when he completed 6000 runs in the 50-over format.
The 30-year-old Pakistani also holds the record for the fastest to 5000 ODI runs, completing it in 97 innings, and the second fastest to 4000 runs, which took him 82 innings, one more than Amla.
