Babar Azam Ends T20 Century Wait With 52-Ball 100 In PSL

Babar Azam playing for Peshawar Zalmi [Source: AFP]

Babar Azam has been at his absolute best in the Pakistan Super League 2026 season, with the Peshawar Zalmi captain leading from the front in style.

His dominance was on full display during a sensational PSL knock against the Quetta Gladiators on April 19 at the National Bank Cricket Arena stadium.

Babar Azam smashed a stunning century off just 52 deliveries, striking at an impressive rate of 192.31, marking it as one of the fastest hundreds of his career, while breaking several records in PSL too.

Babar Ends T20 Century Drought Against Quetta Gladiators

Babar brought up his first T20 hundred in 67 innings with this sensational knock, as the Zalmis posted a massive total of 255 runs on the board for the Quetta Gladiators to chase.

Babar opened the innings with Mohammad Haris, who was dismissed early for just 16 runs. However, Babar held the innings from one end, finding solid support from Kusal Mendis as the duo stitched together a 135-run partnership off 75 deliveries.

Later, Babar Azam found another partner in Aaron Hardie, with whom he added a quick 66 runs off just 22 balls. The late blitz proved crucial for Peshawar Zalmi, complemented by Mendis’ explosive 44-ball 83, which dismantled the Gladiators' bowling attack.

Babar’s innings featured four sixes and six boundaries, helping him reach his century at a remarkable strike rate of 192.31 in the PSL game.

How Babar Secured His Dramatic T20 Century?

Babar’s century came in dramatic fashion. On the final ball of the 20th over, as Peshawar Zalmi’s innings was about to end, Babar was on strike, needing just two runs to reach the three-figure mark. As Jahandad Khan bowled a full delivery on the stumps, Babar flicked it towards the long-on fielder.

With the fielder collecting the ball quickly, it seemed like Azam’s milestone would fall short. However, Babar sprinted back for the second run, and fortune favoured the Pakistan star as the throw from the deep was wide, allowing him to complete the run with a full-length dive before the keeper could break the stumps.

The stunning moment triggered loud applause from the crowd, with Aaron Hardie celebrating aggressively at the non-striker’s end.

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With this knock, Babar also entered an elite list for most centuries in T20 cricket alongside Chris Gayle and David Warner. While Gayle leads the chart with 22 centuries, Babar now has 12 T20 hundreds, cementing his place among the legends of the format.

Babar Azam, An Epitome Of Consistency In PSL 2026

With the century, Babar is displaying remarkable consistency in the Pakistan Super League 2026. The Pakistan veteran has already amassed an average of 100.25 from seven innings while striking at 143.73, silencing critics of his strike rate.

With 401 runs in the tournament so far, Babar Azam boasts scores of 43, 87, 71, and the century itself, marking a strong comeback after a lacklustre ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign where he averaged only 22.75 at a strike rate of 112.35.

Nevertheless, the Peshawar Zalmi captain has been leading his side from the front and will look to build on this momentum as they face Karachi Kings next on April 22 in Lahore.

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