Babar Azam is on the cusp of a major milestone in cricket. The former Pakistan captain was recalled to the T20I set up by coach Mike Hesson after being dropped for the Asia Cup 2025. Now, in the PAK vs SA T20I series, Azam could surpass former India Rohit Sharma as the leading run-getter in the format’s history.
Most T20I runs: Babar Azam chases Rohit Sharma
Babar Azam could be hold the title for most runs in T20I cricket. The 31-year-old needs just 9 more runs to surpass Rohit Sharma at the top of the run charts. The Pakistan superstar currently has 4223 runs in 121 innings, averaging a stunning 39.83 in the format. His 39 50+ scores are also the joint most in the format, alongside Virat Kohli.
Most T20I runs
| Player | Country | Inns | Runs | HS | 100s | 50s | Avg | S/R |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 151 | 4231 | 121* | 5 | 32 | 32.05 | 140.85 |
| Babar Azam* | Pakistan | 121 | 4223 | 122 | 3 | 36 | 39.84 | 129.22 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 117 | 4188 | 122* | 1 | 38 | 48.7 | 137.04 |
| Jos Buttler | England | 132 | 3869 | 101* | 1 | 28 | 35.5 | 149.04 |
| Paul Stirling | Ireland | 150 | 3710 | 115* | 1 | 24 | 26.69 | 134.86 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | 118 | 3531 | 105 | 2 | 20 | 31.81 | 135.7 |
Babar hasn’t played a T20I for Pakistan since December 2024. He returns at No.3 replacing Fakhar Zaman. It will be a new role for the former Pakistan captain, who has opened the batting in 87 of his 121 innings. Pakistan however could do with Azam’s consistency to get runs, something their batters struggled with during the Asia Cup.
