Pakistan’s premier batsman Babar Azam has finally ended his extended century drought with a magnificent hundred against Sri Lanka. The star batter reached the milestone during the second One Day International at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday.
This international century represents Babar’s first in over two years, ending a period of 807 days without reaching triple figures. His previous century occurred during the 2023 Asia Cup match against Nepal, creating significant anticipation around this innings.
Babar reached his century from 115 deliveries during his 84th international innings since his last ton. The batsman brought up the milestone with a single off Sri Lankan bowler Pramod Madushan, triggering celebrations among teammates and spectators.
The roar. The noise. The celebrations. 🔥@babarazam258 has done it! A moment to savour for Rawalpindi 👏
📺 Watch live in the UK region, sign up now at https://t.co/Z0RXSR7gYM#PAKvSL | #JeetKaScene | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/LnpJV1Puk3
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 14, 2025This century holds additional significance as it equals Saeed Anwar’s Pakistani record of 20 ODI centuries. Babar achieved this milestone in just 136 innings compared to Anwar’s 244, demonstrating remarkable consistency in the 50-over format.
The Pakistani batsman had experienced unusual difficulty in converting starts into substantial scores, despite maintaining a strong batting average. He recorded multiple half-centuries across formats throughout the drought period but repeatedly failed to surpass the century mark.
In the series opener against Sri Lanka earlier this week, Babar demonstrated promising form before falling to Wanindu Hasaranga’s googly for 29 runs. That dismissal had extended his century drought to 83 innings across all formats.
2️⃣0️⃣th ODI hundred for @babarazam258! 👏
He joins Saeed Anwar as Pakistan's most prolific ODI century-maker 💯
📺 Watch live in the UK region, sign up now at https://t.co/Z0RXSR7gYM#PAKvSL | #JeetKaScene | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/bvihUAy396
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 14, 2025This century represents Babar’s 32nd in international cricket across all formats. The right-handed batsman now boasts 20 ODI centuries, complemented by nine Test hundreds and three T20 international tons.
Read: Babar Azam Equals Virat Kohli’s Unwanted Century Drought Record
Beyond his century tally, Babar has accumulated 104 half-centuries throughout his international career. This consistent run production has established him as one of Pakistan’s most reliable batsmen across all formats.
