By Babar Azam, the 28-year-old captain of the Pakistan cricket team, achieved a remarkable milestone during the Asia Cup 2023 opener against Nepal in Multan. In that game, he became the fastest player in the history of One Day International (ODI) cricket to score 19 centuries. This accomplishment is even more impressive because it broke the previous record held by South African batting legend Hashim Amla.
Amla had taken 104 innings to reach this milestone, but Babar Azam managed to do it in just 102 innings. This makes him the quickest player ever to achieve 19 ODI centuries. To put this achievement into perspective, other renowned batsmen like Virat Kohli (124 innings), David Warner (139 innings), and AB de Villiers (171 innings) trail behind Babar in this regard.
What makes this feat even more remarkable is the context of the match. Pakistan had a rocky start, losing two early wickets with only 25 runs on the board. Babar Azam then displayed his leadership and skill by anchoring the innings. He formed a crucial partnership worth 86 runs with Mohammad Rizwan before the wicketkeeper was run out in an unusual manner.
Following Rizwan’s departure, Salman Agha joined Babar at the crease but couldn’t stay for long as he fell while attempting a reverse-sweep shot to Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane. Despite these setbacks, Babar Azam continued to hold firm, eventually forming a solid partnership with Iftikhar Ahmed.
Babar Azam’s achievement of becoming the fastest player to score 19 ODI centuries, surpassing Hashim Amla’s record, is a testament to his exceptional batting prowess and his ability to perform under pressure. It’s a historic moment in the world of cricket and a testament to his status as one of the game’s finest contemporary batsmen.
