Babar Azam Virat Kohli. Image Credits: X/AFP
Pakistan’s premier batter, Babar Azam, smashed a scintillating 52-ball century for Peshawar Zalmi in their PSL 2026 clash against Quetta Gladiators on Sunday, April 19.
Playing at the National Stadium in Karachi, Babar’s masterclass marked his third PSL century, drawing him level with Kamran Akmal, Rilee Rossouw, and Usman Khan for the most hundreds in the tournament’s history.
In pursuit of his fastest PSL century, Babar Azam broke multiple records, but what truly stood out was his surpassing the likes of Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle in the elite list of T20 runs.
Babar Azam leaves behind Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle
Babar Azam continued his brilliant form in the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League, with a scintillating century in the high-octane Peshawar Zalmi vs Quetta Gladiators clash.
The star opener smashed an unbeaten 100 off just 52 balls, striking six fours and four sixes. Kusal Mendis, who hammered 83 off 44 balls, was also instrumental in Peshawar's brutal batting attack.
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His power-packed knock powered his PSL 2026 team to a massive total of 255 for the loss of 3 wickets in 20 overs. This marks the third-highest team total in the tournament history. In reply, the Gladiators were bowled out for 137 as Zalmi cruised to a dominant 118-run victory.
Amid the high-scoring, Babar Azam not only returned to form in emphatic fashion but also surpassed India star Virat Kohli and universe boss Chris Gayle on an elite T20 batting list.
The Pakistan batter became the fastest batter in history to score 12,000 runs in T20 cricket. He achieved the feat in just 338 innings. He surpassed both Virat Kohlin and West Indies legend Chris Gayle. While Virat Kohli reached the historic milestone in 360 innings, Chris Gayle did so in 344 innings.
Fastest to 12,000 T20 runs (by innings)
1. Babar Azam: 338 Innings
2. Chris Gayle: 344 Innings
3. Virat Kohli: 360 Innings
4. David Warner: 368 Innings
5. Kieron Pollard: 550 Innings
Long wait ends for Babar Azam after PSL century
It is worth noting that the former Pakistan captain, who had been struggling for runs in recent times, reached triple figures after a gap of 783 days, having last hit a T20 ton in February 2024.
Babar has often faced criticism for his measured approach in the shortest format of the game, T20. Notably, his inability to consistently accelerate and questions around his strike rate have frequently come under scrutiny since his debut in 2015.
Talking about his hundred, his intent looked positive from the get-go, keeping the scoreboard moving.
Babar Azam’s 52-ball century, his fastest in PSL, featured an unprecedented one-dot-ball statistic over a 50+ ball innings, unmatched in T20 history. The only dot came from a bouncer by Alzarri Joseph in the 14th over; otherwise, he scored off every ball.
This performance also marked his 12th T20 century overall and tied him for the most PSL centuries, highlighting both individual brilliance and historical significance.
Thus, after completing his century, the leap, the run, the roar, and the celebration showcased Azam’s emotions amid criticism surrounding his recent form.
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