RAWALPINDI: Babar Azam added another landmark to his career on Sunday, becoming only the fifth Pakistan batter to score 16,000 runs in international cricket during the ODI tri-series opener against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The 32-year-old crossed the mark early in his innings. The Babar Azam 16000 runs milestone puts him in an elite group with Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Javed Miandad, and his career tally now stands at 16,038 runs across formats.
The split across formats shows remarkable consistency. Babar has scored more than 6,671 runs in 144 one-day internationals, 4,771 runs in 66 Tests and 4,596 runs in 145 T20 internationals. His international career also includes 32 centuries and 111 half-centuries.
Pakistan’s all-time run charts
Inzamam-ul-Haq remains Pakistan’s leading run-scorer with 20,541 runs in 495 matches, followed by Younis Khan with 17,790 in 408. Mohammad Yousuf sits third with 17,134, while Javed Miandad finished his career on 16,213.
Babar’s 16,038 now puts him within touching distance of Miandad’s total. The pace of his climb stands out: few batters in Pakistan’s history have combined such longevity with a high scoring rate in all three formats at once.
What the Babar Azam 16000 runs milestone means
Reaching 16,000 runs places Babar among the most productive batters Pakistan has ever produced. The list he has joined is a short one, and every name on it belongs to a former great of the game.
There is also a national record in sight. Babar needs one more ODI century to move past Saeed Anwar’s record of 20 one-day hundreds by a Pakistani batter. Both players currently share the mark of 20, but Babar reached it in significantly fewer innings.
He is also tracking the fastest route to 21 ODI centuries. South Africa’s Hashim Amla reached the mark in 116 innings and India’s Virat Kohli in 138, and Babar’s scoring pace keeps him firmly in that conversation.
Milestone comes in a winning cause
The landmark arrived during an innings in which Pakistan posted 305 runs. Our tri-series preview had flagged the home series as an important test, and the hosts delivered a 37-run win in the opener to take an early lead.
With England also featuring in the tri-series, the coming matches give Babar the perfect stage to chase down Anwar’s record. Sri Lanka named a 16-member squad for the tour, and the competition will only get tougher. Off the field, Babar recently joined the Desert Vipers for his first ILT20 stint, while Sahibzada Farhan took over the T20I captaincy for the Sri Lanka series.
How many international runs has Babar Azam scored?
Babar Azam has scored 16,038 runs in international cricket: 6,671 in ODIs, 4,771 in Tests and 4,596 in T20Is, with 32 centuries and 111 half-centuries.
Who has scored the most runs for Pakistan?
Inzamam-ul-Haq leads with 20,541 runs, followed by Younis Khan (17,790), Mohammad Yousuf (17,134), Javed Miandad (16,213) and Babar Azam (16,038).
Is Babar close to Saeed Anwar’s ODI centuries record?
Yes. Both batters have 20 ODI centuries, so one more hundred will give Babar the outright Pakistani record. He reached 20 centuries in far fewer innings than Anwar.
