Babar Azam surpasses Virat Kohli to become third-fastest batsman to score 11 ODI centuries
It was a happy return of international cricket in Pakistan as the Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Men in Green defeated Sri Lanka by 67 runs to win the 2nd ODI of the three-match series at the National Stadium in Karachi. Pakistan’s ace batsman Babar Azam helped his team kickstart the new era with an effortless century, his No. 11 in ODIs, as he tormented the Sri Lankan bowlers with his range of strokes all around the park. Babar Azam became the third-fastest batsman to hit 11 ODI centuries surpassing Indian skipper Virat Kohli in process.
While South African duo of Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock took 64 and 65 innings respectively to complete 11 ODI centuries, Babar took just 71 innings to reach the landmark, whereas Kohli took 82 innings to the milestone. Babar also became the fastest Pakistani batsman to complete 1000 ODI runs in a calendar year surpassing the likes of Mohammad Yousuf, Javed Miandad and Misbah-Ul-Haq.
Fastest to 11 ODI 100:
64 Innings – Hashim Amla
65 Innings – Quinton de Kock
71 Innings – Babar Azam
82 Innings – Virat Kohli
Babar started on a cautious note and took his time to settle down after openers Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman took Pakistan off to a brisk start. He came to bat in the 15th over of the match following the departure of Imam and played second fiddle to Fakhar for a while.
After Fakhar was dismissed in the 20th over, Babar took the charge and stitched a 101-run stand with Harris Sohail, with Pakistan’s No. 3 being the aggressor after completing his half-century. Babar whacked eight boundaries and four sixes en route to his 11th ODI ton in what was an impressive knock by the 24-year-old youngster.
Phenomenal 2019 for Babar Azam!
Azam has been enjoying rich run of form for a while now. He was Pakistan’s highest run-scorer in the quadrennial event with as many as 474 runs under his belt in eight matches. The stylish right-handed batter continued his scintillating run with the willow in the recently concluded Vitality Blast T20 where he was the highest run-getter of the tournament with 578 runs in 13 matches at a brilliant average of 52.54.
With Pakistan looking forward to redeeming their legacy in world cricket, it is the best time for the vice-captain to continue his splendid form and cement his credentials as one of the best limited-overs Pakistani batsmen of recent times.
