Babar Azam breaks HUGE Virat Kohli record with fighting fifty in PAK vs AUS 3rd T20I

Babar Azam went past Virat Kohli [Source: AFP]In a phenomenal achievement, experienced batter Babar Azam went past Virat Kohli for the most fifties in T20I cricket. The Pakistani cricketer attained the landmark during the third T20I against Australia at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Babar Azam currently has 39 T20I fifties, the most by any batter in the history of the game. Coming at number four, Babar exhibited excellent batting form, powering Pakistan to a gigantic total with a valiant half-century. Thus, he not only showed his readiness for the T20 World Cup 2026 but also surpassed Virat Kohli's tally of most T20I fifties. Most fifties in T20Is: Babar Azam overtakes Virat KohliAfter winning the toss, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha opted to bat in the final dead-rubber of the three-match series against Australia on home soil. Although Fakhar Zaman departed cheaply, Pakistan kept scoring at a brisk pace, thanks to a flamboyant half-century from opening batter Saim Ayub. Skipper Salman Ali Agha managed only five runs, while Babar Azam steadied the ship for Pakistan, stitching a crucial 69-run stand with Saim Ayub. The batter struck three boundaries and a six for an unbeaten 36-ball 50, registering his 39th half century in the shortest format. Thus, Babar went past Virat Kohli's tally of 38 T20I fifties, recording the most half-centuries by any batter in the shortest format. Most fifties in T20I cricket39 - Babar Azam*38 - Virat Kohli32 - Rohit Sharma30 - Mohammad Rizwan28 - David Warner28 - Jos ButtlerAs mentioned above, Babar Azam and Virat Kohli claim the first two places, while Rohit Sharma, Mohammad Rizwan, David Miller and Jos Buttler occupying the subsequent positions on the list. Babar Azam goes past Chris Gayle on elusive listIn another notable achievement, Babar Azam broke West Indies legend Chris Gayle's record for the second-most fifty-plus scores against Australia in T20Is. Notably, the half-century in Lahore marked Babar's sixth score of fifty or more against the Men in yellow. Virat Kohli claims the top spot on this list, having amassed eight fifty-plus scores against Australia in T20Is. Babar Azam regains his form before T20 World Cup 2026Babar Azam had a forgettable BBL 2025-26 stint with the Sydney Sixers, failing to live up to the expectations. The experienced cricketer could amass only 202 runs across eleven innings at a miserable average of 22.44. Despite his torrid BBL run, Babar managed to find a place in the Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup. So, the Australia home series provided him with a great opportunity to let his bat do the talking and fine-tune his skills for the mega event. The talismanic Pakistani batter had a poor start to the series but eventually turned things around with a crucial knock in the final T20I. Babar proved why he could be an asset for Pakistan at number four, propelling his team to 207 for six in 20 overs.