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Pakistan's superstar batter Babar Azam scripted history during the final of an ODI tri-series against New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi on Friday, February 14. Former Pakistan captain became the joint-fastest player to reach 6,000 runs in ODIs. During the course, Babar also left behind India's batting juggernaut Virat Kohli.
Notably, Babar reached this milestone in his 123rd innings, sharing the record with former South African opener Hashim Amla, who achieved the same feat in the same number of innings. The big feat places Babar ahead of batting maestros like India's Virat Kohli, who reached the milestone in 136 innings, followed by New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Australia's David Warner, both taking 139 innings.
The 30-year-old's journey to 6,000 ODI runs has been a mix of record-breaking speed and recent inconsistency. He previously held the record for the fastest player to 5,000 ODI runs, reaching that milestone in just 97 matches back in May 2023.
However, his form in ODIs hasn't been up to the standard since the World Cup, with only two scores over fifty in his last seven innings.
He had a chance to claim the outright fastest 6,000-run record, but a score of 23 in the crucial match against South Africa, which Pakistan won with a record-breaking chase, prevented him from doing so. Despite this, Babar clocked the milestone in style on Friday, reaching the 6,000-run mark with a classic cover drive.
Batters to score fastest 6,000 ODI Runs:
1. Haashim Amla - 123 innings
2. Babar Azam - 123 innings
3. Virat Kohli - 136 innings
4. Kane Williamson - 139 innings
5. David Warner - 139 innings
Babar's performance in the ongoing ODI tri-series, intended as a warm-up for the Champions Trophy starting on February 19, has been a mixed bag. He struggled in the initial matches, scoring just 10 against New Zealand and then failing to make an impact in a chase against South Africa.
Despite these earlier setbacks, Babar provided some stability to Pakistan's top order in the tri-series final. With the team having lost Fakhar Zaman and Saud Shakeel early in the innings, Babar came to steady Pakistan's boat. However, once again he faltered and was dismissed for a paltry score of 29 off 34 to leave the Pakistan reeling at 54/3 as of 11.5 overs.
