Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam created cricket history on Friday by becoming the highest run-scorer in men’s T20 Internationals. He achieved the milestone during the second T20I against South Africa at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
The prolific right-hander entered the match needing just nine runs to surpass the previous record of 4,231 runs held by India’s Rohit Sharma. Babar secured the record with a single off South African captain Donovan Ferreira in the 12th over of Pakistan’s innings.
Babar Azam now sits at the top of the all-time T20I run-scoring list with 4,232 runs. He achieved this landmark in 130 matches, significantly fewer than Rohit Sharma, who accumulated his tally over 159 matches.
🏏 Babar Azam becomes the leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals 💪#PAKvSA | #GreenPeYaqeen | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/950amHyfTV
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 31, 2025
The current top run-scorers in men’s T20Is are:
- Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 4,232* runs in 130 matches
- Rohit Sharma (India) – 4,231 runs in 159 matches
- Virat Kohli (India) – 4,188 runs in 125 matches
- Jos Buttler (England) – 3,869 runs in 144 matches
This record-breaking performance marked a strong comeback for the former captain in the T20I format. Babar had been left out of Pakistan’s T20I squad following the series against South Africa in December last year and missed the recent Asia Cup as the team management focused on developing younger players.
Read: Babar Azam Returns to Pakistan T20 Squad for South Africa Series
His return to the squad for the ongoing home series against South Africa had begun quietly, with a duck in the first match in Rawalpindi. However, his innings in Lahore not only contributed to the team’s cause but also secured his place in the cricketing record books.