Overview:
Pakistan recalled Babar for his first T20I in almost a year after Fakhar Zaman was rested. Babar missed the chance in the first match to set the record when he was dismissed for a two-ball duck at Rawalpindi on Tuesday.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Babar Azam broke Rohit Sharma’s record for most runs in men’s T20Is as Pakistan hammered South Africa by nine wickets and levelled their series on Friday. The third and deciding T20I is on Saturday.
“They outplayed us in the previous game and we did that today,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said. “It’s beautifully set up now, and hopefully we’ll have a cracker in the final. We bowled really well up front, and when you bowl that well, you’re always going to win the game.”
Babar’s long wait ends
Babar needed nine runs to pass Sharma’s record of 4,231 runs and finished 11 not out. He took the Indian batter’s record when he drove spinner Donovan Ferreira for a single to long-off.
Pakistan recalled Babar for his first T20I in almost a year after Fakhar Zaman was rested. Babar missed the chance in the first match to set the record when he was dismissed for a two-ball duck at Rawalpindi on Tuesday.
Babar has 4,234 runs in 130 T20Is, including 36 half-centuries and three centuries. His strike rate of 129 has often been criticised. He missed the Asia Cup in which Pakistan was beaten by India.
Sharma played 159 T20s but quit international cricket’s shortest format after leading India to the T20 World Cup title last year.