Pakistan batting mainstay Babar Azam has added another illustrious feather to his cap by surpassing the 16,000-run threshold in international cricket. Playing in the opening fixture of the ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the right-handed batter crossed the milestone to cement his standing as one of the country's most prolific run-scorers. With this landmark, he becomes only the fifth Pakistani cricketer to reach the figure, though he fell short of eclipsing the world record held by Indian stalwart Virat Kohli for the fastest journey to the tally.
How Babar Reached the Target in Rawalpindi
Heading into the match on Sunday, Pakistan were sent in to bat first, and Babar required merely seven runs to enter the exclusive 16,000-run circle. His opportunity arrived sooner than expected when opener Saim Ayub departed during the third over of the innings. Walking out to the middle at his familiar number three spot, Babar settled in quickly and got off the mark with an elegant drive through the covers against pacer Asitha Fernando. He followed that up by finding a gap on the off side to pick up three runs, comfortably easing past the required seven-run mark.
After crossing the milestone, Babar continued to display solid technique and played several crisp shots around the park. However, he was unable to turn his promising start into a massive individual total. His stay ended on 45 runs off 57 deliveries, an innings decorated with 6 boundaries, before seamer Eshan Malinga secured his dismissal.
The Distance to Virat Kohli's All-Time Record
Babar took 399 innings across all three international formats to collect 16,000 runs. On the national charts, this effort places him as the third fastest Pakistani batter to reach the mark. He sits just behind Mohammad Yousuf, who achieved the feat in 388 innings, and batting legend Javed Miandad, who accomplished it in 398 innings.
On the global stage, however, the world record belongs firmly to Virat Kohli. The Indian batting maestro conquered the 16,000-run mountain in an astonishing 350 innings. Consequently, despite Babar's sustained consistency over the past decade, he required 49 more innings than Kohli, leaving the Indian star's international speed benchmark untouched.
Joining Pakistan's Quintet of Batting Greats
Reaching this landmark elevates Babar into the upper echelon of Pakistan cricket history. Before him, only four batters from the country had ever collected 16,000 or more runs in international matches. The all-time list is headed by former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, who accumulated 20,541 runs. Legendary middle-order anchor Younis Khan follows in second place with 17,790 runs. Mohammad Yousuf stands third with 17,134 runs, while Javed Miandad rounds out the quartet with 16,213 runs. Babar's overall tally now stands at 16,038 runs.
A Detailed Look Across All Three Formats
Babar's aggregate reflects sustained production across red-ball and white-ball formats. In 66 Test appearances, he has recorded 4,771 runs. His 144 One Day Internationals have yielded 6,671 runs, while his 145 T20 International outings have brought in 4,596 runs. In total, Babar has amassed 16,038 runs for his national team, backed by 32 centuries and 111 half-centuries.
Chasing Saeed Anwar's Century Benchmark
Beyond this career aggregate, Babar is also poised to rewrite another historic national milestone in the fifty-over arena. He currently shares the top spot for the most ODI hundreds by a Pakistani batter with former opener Saeed Anwar, with both players sitting on 20 centuries each. The moment Babar registers his next ODI three-figure score, he will stand alone as Pakistan's all-time century leader in one-day cricket.
