Babar Azam breaks Chris Gayle’s record, becomes fastest to 12,000 T20 runs

Star Pakistan batter Babar Azam etched his name into the record books on Thursday (Apr 9) by becoming the quickest player to reach 12,000 runs in T20 cricket. He achieved the milestone in his 338th innings during his 351st T20 appearance in Karachi, surpassing the previous record held by Chris Gayle. The former West Indies opener, who remains the all-time leading run-scorer in T20s, had taken 343 innings to reach the same landmark, while India’s Virat Kohli sits third on the list, having done so in 360 innings.

Fastest to 12,000 T20 runs (by innings)

• Babar Azam (Pakistan) - 338 innings
• Chris Gayle (West Indies) - 343 innings
• Virat Kohli (India) - 360 innings

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In the Pakistan Super League 2026 clash between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings, Babar needed just 13 runs to hit the milestone and he got there comfortably in the fourth over of the innings.

He is now only the second Pakistani batter to cross 12,000 T20 runs, with Shoaib Malik still leading the charts with 13,571 runs from 557 matches between 2005 and 2025.

In the same match, Babar delivered a captain’s knock, remaining unbeaten on 87 off 51 balls, striking 10 fours and two sixes. He built a crucial 191-run partnership for the second wicket with Kusal Mendis, powering Zalmi to a huge total of 246/3.

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Meanwhile, Mendis was also the standout performer, smashing 109 off 52 balls with 14 fours and four sixes. After his dismissal, Abdul Samad provided a late surge, scoring an unbeaten 40 from just 12 deliveries and adding 49 runs alongside Babar.

Chasing a massive total of 247, Karachi Kings were bundled out for just 87, courtesy of some brilliant bowling from Iftikhar Ahmed, Shoriful Islam and Sufiyan Muqeem, with each bowler scalping three wickets each.

With inputs from agencies