As Pakistan gears up to face South Africa in the first T20I in Durban, all eyes are on former captains Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi as both are on the verge of achieving significant milestones in their illustrious careers.
Babar Azam is just 39 runs away from becoming the all-time leading run-scorer in T20Is. The 30-year-old currently sits in second place with 4,192 runs in 126 matches and is set to surpass India’s Rohit Sharma, who leads with 4,231 runs in 159 matches.
This milestone would further cement Babar’s legacy as one of the finest batters in the shorter format. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both recently retired from T20Is after the 2024 T20 World Cup, leave behind records that Babar is poised to rewrite.
| Player | Country | Matches | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | India | 159 | 4,231 |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan | 126 | 4,192 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 125 | 4,188 |
| Paul Stirling | Ireland | 147 | 3,655 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | 122 | 3,531 |
| Jos Buttler | England | 116 | 3,389 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 89 | 3,329 |
Shaheen Afridi, the spearhead of Pakistan’s bowling attack, is only three wickets away from becoming the third Pakistani bowler to claim 100 T20I wickets. Currently tied with Shahid Afridi at 97 wickets, Shaheen has the opportunity to join the elite club during this series.
This achievement would make Shaheen the 19th bowler overall and the eighth pacer to reach 100 T20I wickets. Among Pakistanis, Haris Rauf leads the chart with 110 wickets, followed by Shadab Khan with 107.
| Player | Matches | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| Haris Rauf | 77 | 110 |
| Shadab Khan | 104 | 107 |
| Shaheen Afridi | 80 | 97 |
| Shahid Afridi | 99 | 97 |
| Umar Gul | 60 | 85 |
| Saeed Ajmal | 64 | 85 |
Both Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam are coming back into the side after another hiatus and will be eager to prove their mettle once again. The Pakistan-South Africa series promises thrilling cricket with three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Tests, running from December 10 to January 7, 2025.
Fans eagerly await both personal and team milestones as Pakistan looks to build momentum ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.