Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam etched his name in cricketing history on Friday after surpassing India’s Rohit Sharma to become the highest run-scorer in men’s T20 Internationals.

The milestone came during Pakistan’s second T20I against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Entering the game with 4,223 runs, Babar needed just nine to overtake Rohit’s tally of 4,231. He achieved the feat in signature style — with a crisp single off South Africa captain Donovan Ferreira in the 12th over, after earlier delighting fans with his classic cover drive against Corbin Bosch.

Record-breaking numbers and career stats

With the latest achievement, Babar now stands atop the T20I run charts with 4,234 runs in 130 matches, edging past Rohit Sharma’s 4,231 from 159 matches. India’s Virat Kohli trails behind with 4,188 runs, followed by England’s Jos Buttler (3,869) and Ireland’s Paul Stirling (3,710).

The Pakistani skipper’s consistency has been remarkable — his record includes three centuries and 36 half-centuries, maintained at a strike rate of 128.77.

Return to form after a year’s gap

The ongoing home series marks Babar’s return to T20I cricket after nearly a year. The former captain was excluded from the squad after Pakistan’s tour of South Africa in December 2024 as selectors opted to test new talent ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

However, following Pakistan’s disappointing campaign in the 2025 Asia Cup, selectors turned again to the seasoned batter for stability. His comeback began shakily with a duck in the opening T20I in Rawalpindi, but he quickly redeemed himself in Lahore with a record-breaking performance.

Pakistan level series against South Africa

The match also marked a convincing team performance as Pakistan outplayed South Africa by nine wickets to level the three-match series 1–1.

Chasing a modest target of 111, Pakistan reached victory in the 14th over with opener Saim Ayub’s unbeaten 71 leading the way. In the bowling department, Faheem Ashraf claimed 4 wickets for 23 runs, supported by Salman Mirza (3 for 14) and Naseem Shah (2 wickets).