Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam reached two historic milestones in the second ODI against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday.
The right handed batter brought up the much-anticipated century off 115 balls when he pulled Pramod Madushan for a single.
The 31-year-old equalled the record of legendary opener Saeed Anwar for the most centuries by a Pakistani in One-Day Internationals.
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Anwar had scored 20 centuries in 247 matches and 244 innings, while Babar reached the mark in just 139 matches and 136 innings.
Most ODI centuries by Pakistani batters:
Saeed Anwar – 20 centuries in 247 matches
Babar Azam – 20* centuries in 139 matches
Mohammad Yousuf – 15 centuries in 281 matches
Fakhar Zaman – 11 centuries in 91 matches
Mohammad Hafeez – 11 centuries in 218 matches
In addition to equalling Anwar’s record, Babar also became the third-fastest batter in ODI history to reach 20 centuries, completing the milestone in 136 innings.
READ: Babar Azam equals Virat Kohli’s unfortunate record
He now stands just behind Hashim Amla and Virat Kohli who achieved it in 108 and 133 innings reespectively, and ahead of David Warner, who took 142 innings.
Fastest players to 20 ODI centuries:
Hashim Amla – 108 innings
Virat Kohli – 133 innings
Babar Azam – 136* innings
David Warner – 142 innings
Quinton de Kock – 150 innings
This century marked Babar’s first international hundred in 807 days, ending a drought of 83 innings. His last century came against Nepal in the Asia Cup 2023.
In the match, Pakistan successfully chased a target of 289 against Sri Lanka in the second ODI, taking an unassailable lead in the three-match series.
