The captain of Pakistan has now scored 19 centuries in 102 innings. After his debut against Zimbabwe in 2015 held in Lahore, Babar Azam has profoundly transformed Pakistan cricket. The team, once known for its struggles in batting, has now evolved into a consistently victorious squad.
Considering Azam’s pivotal role in Pakistan’s recent achievements is entirely accurate. He not only guided the team to the top spot in ODIs but also displayed remarkable batting consistency. His performances shattered numerous records, and some records still await his grasp.
Presently, Azam is poised to set another record, this time aiming for the title of the “chase master” currently held by Virat Kohli. Azam is merely six runs away from surpassing Kohli’s record as the speediest captain to reach 2000 ODI runs.
Kohli attained 2000 ODI runs as captain in 36 innings. In contrast, Babar Azam, following his spectacular score of 150 against Nepal during the opening match of the 2023 Asia Cup, has amassed 1994 runs in just 30 innings.
Earlier, Azam outpaced former South African batsman Hashim Amla, securing the title of the fastest player to achieve 19 ODI centuries. Azam accomplished this feat in a mere 102 innings, while Amla achieved it in his 104th innings.
As Azam surpassed Amla’s record, he simultaneously claimed the distinction of becoming the quickest player to achieve this milestone in the realm of ODI cricket.
Fastest players to score 19 ODI centuries
The table you have provided shows the number of innings it took each batsman to score 19 centuries in ODI cricket.
- Babar Azam is the fastest batsman to score 19 centuries in ODI cricket, taking just 102 innings. He broke the record previously held by Hashim Amla, who took 104 innings.
- Virat Kohli is the second fastest batsman to score 19 centuries in ODI cricket, taking 124 innings.
- David Warner is the third fastest batsman to score 19 centuries in ODI cricket, taking 139 innings.
- AB de Villiers is the fourth fastest batsman to score 19 centuries in ODI cricket, taking 171 innings.
It is worth noting that Babar Azam has also broken Amla’s record for scoring the most runs in 102 innings. Azam has scored 5353 runs in 102 innings, while Amla scored 5165 runs in the same number of innings.
Babar Azam is one of the most prolific batsmen in ODI cricket today. He is a consistent performer who has scored centuries all over the world. He is also a captaincy prospect and is currently the captain of the Pakistan ODI and T20I teams.
