Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has become the highest run-scorer in men’s T20 Internationals, surpassing India’s Rohit Sharma during Pakistan’s second T20I match against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Babar entered the match needing nine runs to go past Rohit’s 4,231 runs. He reached the landmark comfortably in the 12th over, adding another major achievement to his career. With this, Babar now holds 4,234 runs in 130 T20I matches, while Rohit Sharma holds 4,231 runs from 159 games. Virat Kohli is next on the list with 4,188 runs.
Babar’s T20I career has been built on consistency and technical strength. He has scored 3 centuries and 36 half-centuries, and maintains a strike rate close to 129. His return to the national T20I setup came after nearly a year, as selectors had experimented with new players ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Following Pakistan’s struggles in the 2025 Asia Cup, Babar was brought back for stability and experience.
Despite starting this series with a rare duck, Babar’s performance in Lahore reminded fans of his quality. His achievement also came on a day when Pakistan delivered an all-round performance to level the series 1–1. Chasing a target of 111, Pakistan finished the match comfortably, with opener Saim Ayub scoring an unbeaten 71. Faheem Ashraf led the bowling attack with four wickets, while Salman Mirza and Naseem Shah also delivered strong spells.
Pakistan will now enter the final T20I looking to seal the series, with Babar once again at the center of attention after rewriting the T20I record books.
