Babar sets new record of fastest 1,000 runs in T20I cricket

DUBAI: Pakistan’s star batsman Babar Azam has set a new world record here at the Dubai International Cricket stadium on Sunday.

When he reached 48 runs while playing in the third and final Twenty20 International against New Zealand, he completed 1,000 runs in 26th innings of his career in this shortest format of the game.

He hit 79 off 58 balls with seven fours and two sixes. This was his eighth half-century in T20I cricket.

He is the quickest to reach the milestone, ahead of India’s Virat Kohli by one innings.

The International Cricket Council has  hailed Babar's achievement through a tweet:

However, Babar has not only completed his 1000 runs in the lowest number of innings (26) and as many matches but also reached the milestone in the shortest period (in two years, 58 days).

Previously, the record of scoring 1000 T20I runs in the shortest period was held by England’s Alex Hales, who did it in two years, 262 days.

Kohli took five years, 112 days to reach the milestone, in 29 T20 Internationals.

The 24-year-old, Babar Azam, made his debut in T20 International cricket on September 7, 2016. He has now made 1021 runs with 97 not out, being the highest score which he made against West Indies at Karachi on April 2 this year.