Babar becomes fastest Asian to achieve stellar ODI milestone

Babar Azam has left behind Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and David Warner to become the joint-fastest batter to 6000 ODI runs. 

Babar Azam is now tied with former South Africa batter Hashim Amla to surpass the 6,000 ODI runs mark. Both players took 123 innings to reach this milestone.

The right-hander achieved the feat against New Zealand in the Tri-Series final at the National Stadium in Karachi on Friday. 

Babar Azam hit a four on the third ball of the seventh over as he perfectly read a slower ball delivered by Jacob Duffy. 

Babar timed the drive perfectly wide of cover-point to bring up the landmark.

Babar, batting at the top of the order alongside Fakhar Zaman, made a sedate start. 

In the seventh over of the innings, he pounced on an overpitched delivery from Jacob Duffy, driving it through the covers to move past 6,000 runs in ODI cricket. 

He missed out on reaching the mark in his last innings against South Africa, which would have made him the outright fastest to the landmark.

Babar and Amla both also reached the mark in their 126th ODI match. 

Virat Kohli, the third-fastest to the mark by innings, is the quickest to 6,000 ODI runs in terms of time taken from debut – he did so in 6 years and 83 days, in November 2014 against Sri Lanka.

Source: Agencies