Babar Azam Poised to Shatter Records in South Africa T20I Series

Pakistan and South Africa are set to resume their cricketing rivalry tonight at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. While much of the spotlight has been on the buildup to this series, nearly equal attention has been given to the potential return of Pakistan’s former captain, Babar Azam, who is on the brink of breaking several T20I records.

Babar has been named in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the first time in nearly a year for the three-match series against South Africa and the upcoming tri-nation series featuring Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. He is expected to be named in the lineup tonight, which means his return could be a historic one, as he’s on the verge of reaching two major milestones that could further cement his place among the modern greats of the game.

Babar Azam needs just nine runs to surpass Rohit Sharma and become the outright leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals — a landmark that would crown him as the most prolific batter in the shortest format. Both players have defined T20 batting over the past decade with contrasting styles, and this milestone would mean that Babar’s style is still usable in modern game.

The 31-year-old right-hander is also just one 50+ score away from holding the record for the most 50-plus scores in T20Is. At present, he is tied with Virat Kohli with 39 scores of 50 or more (36 fifties and 3 hundreds). His consistency at the top of the order has been the backbone of Pakistan’s batting across formats, and one more fluent knock will place him alone in the record books.

Babar’s return marks the end of nearly a year away from T20Is — his last appearance came in December 2024. Since then, Pakistan’s batting lineup has gone through a period of transition to mixed results, but his presence will add much-needed experience and stability.

As Pakistan prepares to take on South Africa in the T20I series opener, there is an added subplot of Babar Azam entering the record books. But fans will be hoping he also rediscovers his form to once again lead the team’s charge in upcoming events.