Babar Azam On Top, No Virat Kohli! Pakistan Ace Increases Gap Of Most International Runs In This Decade

Babar Azam and Virat Kohli [Source: AFP]

Babar Azam made a triumphant return to the Pakistan team for the series-deciding second Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet. After getting ruled out of the first Test in Mirpur owing to an injury, the legendary Pakistani batter stroked 68 runs from 84 balls with 10 elegant boundaries to top-score for his side in the first innings.

Babar’s innings helped Pakistan chart 232 after slipping to 79-4 at one stage, thus minimizing his side’s deficit down to just 46 runs. Through the course of his fighting knock, the 31-year-old also unlocked a major batting landmark, surpassing the likes of Joe Root and national teammate Mohammad Rizwan.

Interestingly Babar Azam’s contemporary batting rival and Indian great Virat Kohli is nowhere close for the record.

Babar Azam first to scale 9,000 international runs this decade

Pakistan icon Babar Azam has completed 9,000 international runs in the 2020 decade so far. Once a regular member of Pakistan’s playing XI in all three formats, the cricketer has played 231 innings spanning 212 matches for his nation, aggregating 9,060 runs in the process at a prolific average of 42.53.

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Babar has also plundered 17 hundreds during this time period, which is the third highest among all batters this decade after Joe Root and Shubman Gill.

Notably, Virat Kohli does not even feature among the top five highest international run-scorers this decade, let alone challenge Babar Azam’s position at the summit. Here is a look at five leading run-makers in international cricket since January 2020.

Most international runs in 2020 decade

Virat Kohli loses top spot after ruling 2010s

Indian run-machine Virat Kohli is ranked sixth on the table with 6,873 runs from 198 innings spanning 186 international matches since January 2020. It is worth noting that Kohli is not a regular member of India’s all-format team anymore, considering the legendary batter bowed out of T20Is back in mid-2024, and out of Test cricket the following year.

In the preceding 10-year phase between 2010 and 2020, Virat Kohli ruled the decade by a landslide with his proficient all-format scoring. The chase master accumulated 20,960 runs in just 431 innings during the period at a monstrous average of 57.58, recording 69 hundreds and 98 fifties in the process.

Bangladesh on top in decider on Day 2

Bangladesh bowlers bundled out Pakistan for just 232 in 57.4 overs to gain a handy 46-run lead at the halfway stage of the series-deciding second Test in Sylhet.

Nahid Rana (3-60) and Taijul Islam (3-67) picked up three wickets each in the innings, while Taskin Ahmed (2-37) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (2-21) struck twice each.

For Pakistan, only Babar in his comeback Test managed to record a half-century in the innings. 

Emboldened with a handy lead, Bangladesh soared past the 100-run mark before stumps on Day 2 with opening batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy composing a regal 52.

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