LONDON: Pakistan captain Babar Azam achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming only the second batter to score 4000 runs in T20 Internationals. He reached this landmark during the fourth T20I against England upon scoring his 13th run. Babar now joins India’s Virat Kohli, who tops the list with 4,037 runs in the shortest format of international cricket.
Stellar Performance
Babar played a stellar innings, scoring 36 off 22 balls, including five fours and a six. The top run-scorers in T20Is now stand as follows:
- Virat Kohli: 4,037 runs
- Babar Azam: 4,023 runs
- Rohit Sharma: 3,974 runs
- Paul Stirling: 3,589 runs
Additional Achievement
In addition to this milestone, Babar also became the first captain to score 2,500 runs in T20Is during the match.
Match Overview
England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and opted to field first. Pakistan made a notable change by dropping young opener Saim Ayub, with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan opening the innings.
Strong Opening
The opening pair provided a strong start, adding 59 runs before Jofra Archer dismissed Babar on the final ball of the powerplay. Rizwan followed soon after, bowled by Adil Rashid for 23 off 16 balls.
Middle Order Struggles
Usman Khan, replacing Saim Ayub, and Fakhar Zaman tried to stabilize the innings, but Fakhar fell in the ninth over for a run-a-ball nine. Pakistan then suffered quick setbacks with Shadab Khan and Azam Khan both getting out for ducks, leaving the team struggling at 91/5 in 10.4 overs when rain interrupted the match.
Series Status
The first and third T20Is of the ongoing series were also washed out due to rain. England currently leads the four-match series 1-0, having won the second T20I by 23 runs under Jos Buttler’s leadership.
Preparation for T20 World Cup
This series, running from May 22 to 30, serves as crucial preparation for both teams ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. Both sides will skip warm-up matches for the upcoming tournament.
Playing XIs
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (c), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (c), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah.
