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Despite Pakistan’s T20I series loss to England, fans found cause for celebration as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the dynamic opening duo, made history with their exceptional displays in the fourth and final match at Kennington Oval in London on Thursday, May 30th.
Babar and Rizwan solidify their places in cricketing lore, emerging as one of the most formidable opening partnerships in T20 cricket. Their legacy reached new heights on May 30th, as they set a remarkable milestone during the fourth T20I against England at the Oval, establishing themselves as the most accomplished opening duo in the history of the format.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan shatter the colossal T20 record previously held by Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle.
With a strong opening performance of 59 runs in the fourth and final T20I match against England, Babar and Rizwan surpassed the previous record for the most 50+ run opening partnerships in T20 cricket. This achievement, previously held by Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), highlights their dominance at the crease.
This historic partnership marked their 24th instance of exceeding the 50-run mark for the first wicket in T20 cricket, eclipsing the record set by RCB’s renowned opening duo Kohli-Gayle, who managed 23 fifty-plus stands. Babar and Rizwan now boast an impressive tally of 24 partnerships of fifty runs or more.
Significantly, Babar and Rizwan’s remarkable achievement includes an impressive ten-century partnership, showcasing their consistency and effectiveness as top-order batsmen. However, despite their stellar performance, Pakistan suffered a setback in the final game, losing by 7 wickets and conceding the T20I series to England on Thursday.
Babar Azam joins Virat Kohli in the 4000-run club in T20I cricket
In the midst of the action, Babar Azam reached another noteworthy landmark during the fourth and final T20I clash against England at the Kennington Oval in London. Emulating the achievements of the legendary Indian batsman Virat Kohli, Babar joined an elite club by becoming only the second player in history to amass 4000 runs in T20 international cricket.
The captain of Pakistan needed just 13 runs to accomplish this prestigious feat, and he did so in a stylish manner, smashing two consecutive boundaries off the bowling of Chris Jordan during the fourth over of his team’s innings against England. Despite his commendable achievement, he managed to score 36 runs off 22 balls in the final match at the Oval.
Top Run Scorers in T20 International Cricket:
– Virat Kohli – 4037 runs (from 109 innings)
– Babar Azam – 4023* runs (from 112 innings)
– Rohit Sharma – 3974 runs (from 143 innings)
– Paul Stirling – 3589* runs (from 142 matches)
– Martin Guptill – 3531 runs (from 122 innings)
It’s worth noting that both Babar Azam and Virat Kohli will be participating in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024, set to be held in the USA and Caribbean, commencing on June 2nd. Pakistan is scheduled to begin their campaign against the USA on June 6th in Texas, while Team India will commence their journey against Ireland on June 5th in New York.
The most anticipated clash of the T20 World Cup 2024 between India and Pakistan is scheduled for June 9th at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, promising an electrifying encounter between these two cricketing giants.
