Breaking Virat Kohli’s record, Babar Azam makes a century with Mohammad Rizwan for a mammoth 200-run stand.
Breaking Virat Kohli’s record, Babar Azam makes a century with Mohammad Rizwan for a mammoth 200-run stand. Babar Azam’s incredible century (110 not out) and Mohammad Rizwan’s brilliant knock (88 not out) helped Pakistan beat England by 10 wickets in the second T20I on Thursday at the National Stadium Karachi. This tied the series at 1-1. After England won the toss and chose to bat first, Alex Hales and Phil Salt scored 42 runs quickly in the first five overs. Salt got England going by hitting a six against Mohammad Nawaz. Hales then hit a four and a six in the next over to keep England going.
Babar Azam scored 8,000 T20 runs during his century, making him the second-fastest player after the West Indian legend Chris Gayle reached this mark. The Pakistan captain beat Virat Kohli’s record of 8,000 runs in 243 innings by getting there in 218 innings. Gayle has the record for most runs scored, with 8,000 in 214 innings.
Here are the T20 batters who got 8,000 runs the quickest
- Chris Gayle – 214 innings
- Babar Azam – 218 innings
- Virat Kohli – 243 innings
- Aaron Finch – 254 innings
- David Warner – 256 innings
About that match
Shahnawaz Dahani turned things around for Pakistan in the last over of the Powerplay. He got rid of Alex Hales and Dawid Malan to get a hat trick. Ben Duckett’s counterattacks, on the other hand, kept England from going into a shell. In the next eight overs, the visitors hit seven fours, and Duckett hit all of them on his way to a 22-ball 43.
Just as England started to look dangerous again, the home team took two wickets in two overs, sending both set batters back to the pavilion. But, once again, the Englishmen fought fire with fire and attacked Pakistan. In just 27 balls, Harry Brook and Moeen Ali added 59 runs by hitting three fours and five sixes. The captain made Pakistan pay for dropping a catch in the 18th over, and he ended the game with a lot of runs. Finally, Ali reached his fifty by hitting two sixes off the last two balls. This helped England get a terrific score of 199-5 in 20 overs.
At 10 runs per over, Mohammad Rizwan made it clear what he would do by hitting two fours in the first over. Even Babar Azam got in on the action by hitting two boundaries against Sam Curran in the third over.
The two scored 203 runs without losing a wicket to set a record for the highest opening partnership while chasing. They beat their own record, which they had set against South Africa in Centurion last year.
In the last two overs of the Powerplay, the two took Pakistan to 59/0, which was their score after six overs. Even after the Powerplay restrictions were moved aside, the runs kept coming. Rizwan and Babar reached their 50s in 30 and 39 balls, respectively.
The maximum opening partnership runs when chasing.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan
Runs – 203
Against – England
Year – 2022
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan
Runs – 197
Against – South Africa
Year – 2021
Aaron Finch and Jason Roy
For – Surrey
Runs – 194
Against – Middlesex
Year – 2018
Nama Ojha and David Warner
For – Delhi Daredevils
Runs – 189 runs
Against – Deccan Chargers
Year – 2012
Neil Broom and Brendon McCullum
For – Otago
Runs – 188
Against – Northern Districts
Year – 2012