Babar Azam has jumped ahead of Sir Viv Richards and Virat Kohli on the all-time list of fastest batters to 5,500 ODI runs in terms of innings played. The Pakistan captain touched the 5,500-run mark during his 74-run knock against the Afghanistan cricket team at the MA Chidambaram Stadium earlier today in the 2023 World Cup.
Before losing his wicket to Noor Ahmad, Babar Azam smashed four fours and a six in his 92-ball 74. The Pakistan captain was playing the 110th innings of his ODI career, when he touched the milestone, thereby becoming the second-fastest batter to accomplish the feat.
Azam was only behind former South African captain Hashim Amla on the all-time list. Amla took 108 innings to complete 5,500 ODI runs. Meanwhile, the likes of Sir Viv Richards and Virat Kohli took more than 120 innings each. Richards touched the milestone in his 123rd inning, whereas Kohli took 124 innings for his first 5,500 ODI runs.
Fastest to 5500 ODI runs
— CricBeat (@Cric_beat) October 23, 2023
108 Inngs – Hashim Amla
110 Inngs – Babar Azam*
123 Inngs – Viv Richards
124 Inngs – Virat Kohli#PAKvsAFG
Azam owns many records in the 50-over format of cricket. There is a reason why he is the world number one ODI batter, but many fans feel that he has struggled to perform consistently against the higher-ranked nations.
Can Babar Azam lead Pakistan to their 3rd win in 2023 World Cup today?
Pakistan captain Azam led his team from the front in the first innings of the 2023 World Cup match against Afghanistan. The right-handed batter batted patiently and took 92 balls for his 74 runs. He focused more on running between the wickets and hit only four fours and a six.
Azam’s knock has placed Pakistan in a decent position against Afghanistan. The Men in Green are 281/6 in the 50th over right now. This score should be defendable on the Chennai track, considering that Pakistan have a strong bowling lineup as well.
