Pakistani cricketers Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi are on the verge of achieving significant milestones as the team prepares to face South Africa in the first T20I match in Durban.
Babar is just 39 runs away from becoming the all-time leading run-scorer in T20Is.
Currently in second place with 4,192 runs in 126 matches, the 30-year-old is expected to overtake India’s Rohit Sharma, who occupies the top spot with 4,231 runs in 159 matches.
Notably, Rohit recently announced his retirement from the shortest format after the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he led India to victory over the Proteas.
Virat Kohli, who, along with Rohit, announced his retirement from this format, is in third place with 4,188 runs in 125 matches, while Ireland’s Paul Stirling is in fourth position with 3,655 runs in 147 matches.
Most runs in T20I career:
- Rohit Sharma (India) – 4,231
- Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 4,192
- Virat Kohli (India) – 4,188
- Paul Stirling (Ireland) – 3,655
- Martin Guptill (New Zealand) – 3,531
- Jos Buttler (England) – 3,389
- Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) – 3,329
Apart from Babar’s milestone, left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi is also closing in on a major achievement.
The 24-year-old is just three wickets away from becoming the third Pakistan player to take 100 wickets in T20Is.
Currently tied with Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi with 97 wickets, Shaheen has a chance to join the elite 100-wicket club during the series.
Haris Rauf leads the wickets chart for Pakistan with 110 wickets in 77 matches while Shadab Khan follows with 107 wickets in 104 matches.
If Shaheen takes three wickets, he will not only join the 100-wicket club but also become the 19th bowler overall and the eighth pacer to achieve this feat.
Veteran New Zealand pacer Tim Southee is in the top position as the all-time leading wicket-taker in the format with 164 wickets in 126 matches.
Most Wickets for Pakistan in T20Is:
- Haris Rauf – 110 wickets
- Shadab Khan – 107 wickets
- Shaheen Afridi – 97 wickets
- Shahid Afridi – 97 wickets
- Umar Gul – 85 wickets
- Saeed Ajmal – 85 wickets
The much-awaited series between Pakistan and South Africa will feature three T20Is, three ODIs and two Test matches, starting from December 10 and running until January 7, 2025.
