After 807 days and 83 attempts, Babar Azam finally broke his century drought against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi during the second ODI, scoring an unbeaten 102 to help his team seal the three-match series with a game to spare.
In classic Babar fashion, his latest milestone elevated his stature in Pakistan cricket, as his 20th ODI century etched history for his country. The former captain now officially ties the great Saeed Anwar for the most ODI tons scored by a Pakistani. What is mind-boggling is that despite his recent struggles, Babar reached the milestone 108 innings quicker than the former Pakistan opener.
| Player | Matches | Innings | Hundreds | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babar Azam | 139 | 136 | 20 | 53.89 |
| Saeed Anwar | 247 | 244 | 20 | 39.21 |
| Mohammad Yousuf | 281 | 267 | 15 | 42.08 |
| Fakhar Zaman | 91 | 90 | 11 | 45.30 |
| Mohammad Hafeez | 218 | 216 | 11 | 32.90 |
Babar Azam’s latest century not only places him firmly among Pakistan’s greats but also quiets the voices calling for his exclusion. For Pakistan fans, this feels less like the end of a race and more like the beginning of a new chapter. At the peak of his powers, Babar Azam never slowed down, and supporters can dream that his old self has returned. The 31-year-old can outright claim the record in the next innings tomorrow and set a benchmark that may never be matched again in Pakistan cricket.
Pakistan cricket has produced many heroes over the years, and yesterday, one of them stepped into the record books once again.
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