Pakistan’s batting maestro Babar Azam added another feather to his illustrious cap on Saturday, November 1, as he surpassed Virat Kohli to become the player with the most fifty-plus scores in T20 International cricket.
The milestone came during the third T20I against South Africa at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, where Babar’s fluent 36-ball half-century powered Pakistan to a 2-1 series win.
Walking in under pressure after an early wicket, Babar steadied the chase with his trademark calm and class, notching up his 37th T20I half-century – taking his total tally of fifty-plus scores to 40 (37 fifties and 3 hundreds). Kohli, who previously held the record, has 38 fifties and one century.
It was a special evening for the Lahore crowd, who erupted in applause as Babar reached the landmark with three consecutive boundaries off Ottneil Baartman. The knock, his first T20I fifty since May 2024 against Ireland, also marked a strong return to form after a lean patch of 13 innings without a half-century.
Just a match earlier, Babar had surpassed Rohit Sharma to become the highest run-scorer in T20I history, crossing the Indian skipper’s tally of 4,231 runs in significantly fewer games – 130 matches compared to Rohit’s 159. He also etched his name in another record book by becoming the first player in T20I history to hit 450 boundaries, a testament to his impeccable timing and elegance at the crease.
In the decisive third game, Shaheen Shah Afridi set up the victory with a fiery spell of 3/26, helping Pakistan restrict South Africa to 139/9. Babar’s composed 68 off 47 balls, featuring eight fours, anchored the chase as Pakistan sealed the series with a six-wicket win in 19 overs.
South Africa had drawn first blood with a dominant win in Rawalpindi, but Pakistan responded in style with back-to-back triumphs in Lahore – led fittingly by their captain and batting talisman.
For Babar Azam, the records keep tumbling, but his hunger for consistency and match-winning performances shows no sign of slowing down.