Pak vs NZ: Babar Azam breaks another record

By
Faizan Lakhani
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam during the fourth ODI against New Zealand in Karachi on May 4, 2023. — Twitter/@TheRealPCB
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam during the fourth ODI against New Zealand in Karachi on May 4, 2023. — Twitter/@TheRealPCB

KARACHI: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam broke another record Friday after he became the batter to score 18 centuries in the least innings.

Babar — the number one batter in the world in the one-day international format — achieved the feat during the fourth ODI against New Zealand in Karachi.

The Pakistan skipper has smashed 18 tons in 97 innings, which South Africa's Hashim Amla achieved in 102, Australia's David Warner 115, and India's Virat Kohli 119.

Babar also holds the record for scoring his 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries in the fewest innings.

In the same match, the Pakistan skipper added another feather to his cap by becoming the fastest batsman to score 5,000 runs in one-day internationals (ODI).

The star batter became the first batter to achieve this feat in less than 100 innings.

Babar crossed this milestone in just 97 innings, becoming the 14th to score 5,000 runs.

South Africa's Amla scored 5,000 runs in 101 innings, while West Indian legend Vivian Richards and India's Kohli scored these runs in 114 innings.

Previously, the batter achieved the international feat during the first fixture against the Black Caps by completing 12,000 runs in international cricket.

He took 277 innings to achieve this feat as the fastest Pakistani and second-fastest Asian batter. In the world, he is the sixth-fastest to get to this achievement.