The Pakistan national cricket team faced off against USA in their opening fixture of the ongoing T20 World Cup competition earlier this week. In the process, the Pakistani captain achieved a historic milestone in the shortest format of the game.
Babar Azam brought up 44 runs during his side’s innings, which helped him surpass Virat Kohli’s long-standing record as the highest run scorer in T20 International cricket. Azam now has over 4,067 runs from 113 innings, eclipsing the previous mark held by the former Indian skipper who had scored 4,038 runs from 110 matches.
Rohit Sharma, the current captain of Team India, sits in third place on the all-time list with more than 4,026 runs in 144 T20I appearances. Both Azam and Sharma are currently featuring in the 2022 T20 World Cup, with much anticipation around their high-profile rivalry that will be reignited on Sunday when arch-rivals India and Pakistan square off in New York.
Azam led from the front with a valuable 44 for his team against USA after opting to bat first. His brisk knock included a couple of towering sixes and four boundaries. Shadab Khan also chipped in with a useful 40 runs lower down the order to aid Pakistan in posting a competitive total of 159/7.
USA impressed with the ball to restrict their opponents to a gettable score. Left-arm spinner Noshtush Kenjinge was the standout performer with three wickets, while pacer Saurabh Netravalkar and Ali Khan snapped up a pair each.
The match witnessed the rise of Azam as the premier T20 batter, though Kohli and Sharma still have an opportunity to reclaim their place at the top when their teams clash in a eagerly anticipated group stage match this Sunday.
