Babar Azam Poised to Surpass Rohit Sharma in T20I Runs

RAWALPINDI: Another chapter is waiting. Unruffled Babar Azam is nine runs short of being the top run-scorer in men's T20I cricket.

It does not carry any long build-ups or loud assertions, only the figures that speak volumes. In 128 matches, Babar has made 4,223 runs, 36 half-centuries, and three centuries with an average of 39.83. Such silence is the hallmark of his game.

Rohit Sharma has scored 4,231 runs in 159 matches, and this has been a record that has endured over the years. This record might change when the three-match T20I series between Pakistan and South Africa begins in Rawalpindi on October 28.

Most Runs in Men’s T20Is

Rohit Sharma – 4,231 runs in 159 matches
Babar Azam – 4,223 runs in 128 matches
Virat Kohli – 4,188 runs in 125 matches
Jos Buttler – 3,869 runs in 144 matches

Babar's return to T20Is after almost a year adds more significance to the occasion. His last T20I appearance came against South Africa in December 2024. Since then, he has been a steady presence in Pakistan’s lineup, the same line of thinking that currently characterizes the team of Mike Hesson.

To the fans, it is not just a figure. It is of a batter who has had the burden of white-ball hopes of Pakistan on his shoulders, silent and unwavering. When he goes out to bat in Rawalpindi, everyone will be watching the scoreboard, nine runs. That’s all.

The last two T20Is will be played in Lahore on October 31 and November 2 at the Gaddafi Stadium. Every venue has its own vibe, but the opening match could set the tone not only for the series itself but also for another album that Babar can own.

South Africa T20I Squad

Donovan Ferreira (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Matthew Breetzke, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Tony de Zorzi, Andile Simelane, Lizaad Williams.

Pakistan T20I Squad

Salman Ali Agha (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq.

The Rawalpindi crowd will arrive with their flags high and expectations higher. And somewhere between the noise, the applause, and the first boundary, a record may quietly change hands. Watch the action live and uninterrupted, only on tapmad.