Record-breaker: Babar Azam becomes fastest to 12,000 T20 runs, surpasses Kohli and Gayle

PESHAWAR: In a breathtaking display of precision and power, Babar Azam ended a 783-day T20 century drought on Sunday night, reclaiming his throne as one of the most prolific run-machines in the history of the shortest format.

Leading Peshawar Zalmi against the Quetta Gladiators in the PSL 2026, Azam notched his 12th T20 century, further distancing himself from contemporary greats and closing the gap on the legendary Chris Gayle.

While the century itself was a masterclass, the statistics behind it left analysts stunned. Babar reached his hundred in just 52 deliveries, but the most remarkable feat was his efficiency: he played only one dot ball during his entire stay at the crease. It is believed to be the first time in T20 history that a batter has faced over 50 balls while recording one or fewer dot balls.

With this innings, Babar didn’t just score runs; he rewrote the record books for speed and consistency:

• Fastest to 12,000 Runs: Babar became the fastest player in T20 history to reach the 12,000-run milestone, doing so in just 338 innings. He officially surpassed Chris Gayle (344 innings) and Virat Kohli (360 innings) to take the top spot.
• The Century Count: By reaching his 12th T20 ton, he has now moved further ahead of Virat Kohli (9 centuries) and sits firmly in second place on the all-time list. He now trails only "The Universe Boss," Chris Gayle, who holds the record with 22 T20 centuries.

The innings comes after a period of intense scrutiny regarding Babar's strike rate and a century-less streak in the format that stretched back to early 2024. By finishing with a strike rate of over 192.00, the Zalmi captain provided a loud answer to those questioning his adaptability in the modern game.

"Scoring a hundred always feels special, no matter how many you've made before, and there's a different kind of satisfaction in reaching that milestone again," Babar said during the post-match presentation.