Pakistan’s Babar Azam has surpassed India’s Rohit Sharma to become the highest run-scorer in men’s T20 Internationals, reaching the milestone during the second T20I against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 31 October.
Babar began the match with 4,223 runs to his name, needing just nine more to overtake Rohit’s tally of 4,231. The right-hander reached the mark in style, driving South Africa’s captain Donovan Ferreira for a single towards long-off on the first delivery of the 12th over.
The 30-year-old had earlier opened his innings with a trademark cover drive for four off Corbin Bosch, though it was his partner Saim Ayub who dominated the early scoring. Babar eventually finished unbeaten as Pakistan cruised to victory, levelling the three-match series 1–1.
Most runs in men’s T20 Internationals
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Babar Azam – 4,232 runs in 130 matches*
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Rohit Sharma – 4,231 runs in 159 matches
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Virat Kohli – 4,188 runs in 125 matches
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Jos Buttler – 3,869 runs in 144 matches
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Paul Stirling – 3,710 runs in 153 matches
The ongoing home series marks Babar’s return to T20 Internationals after nearly a year. He was left out of the format following Pakistan’s 2024 tour of South Africa and was also omitted from the squad for the 2025 Asia Cup, as selectors focused on nurturing younger talents ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.
Following Pakistan’s disappointing campaign in the Asia Cup, Babar was recalled for the series against the Proteas, the 2024 T20 World Cup runners-up. However, his comeback began on a sour note as he was dismissed for a duck in the series opener in Rawalpindi on 29 October, before bouncing back with a record-breaking performance two days later in Lahore.
