Babar Azam becomes first Asian batter with 3,000 WTC runs
What's the story
Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has created history by becoming the first-ever Asian batter to score 3,000 runs in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). The milestone was achieved during Pakistan's ongoing 1st Test against South Africa at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium. Babar needed just two runs to reach this landmark and became the eighth player overall to achieve this feat. Here are the key stats.
Record-breaking
Babar surpasses Kohli and Rohit
Babar's achievement is even more significant as he has surpassed the WTC run totals of Indian cricket icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. While Kohli finished his WTC career with 2,617 runs and Rohit with 2,716 runs, Babar has achieved this milestone in fewer innings. This puts him at the top of the list for Asian batters in terms of runs scored in the WTC.
Performance
Babar's journey in WTC
Babar has been a key batter for Pakistan since the introduction of the WTC. He had an impressive run in 2019 with an average of 68.44, scoring 616 runs. However, he averaged 22.66 and 20.20 in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Overall, Babar has raced to 3,021 runs from 37 WTC matches at an average of 47.95. His tally includes 8 tons and 18 half-centuries.
Information
Babar trails these players
According to ESPNcricinfo, Babar is only behind Joe Root (6,080), Steve Smith (4,278), Marnus Labuschagne (4,225), Ben Stokes (3,616), Travis Head (3,300), Usman Khawaja (3,288), and Zak Crawley (3,041) in terms of WTC runs.
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Contribution in winning cause
As per ESPNcricinfo, Babar has slammed 895 runs at a remarkable average of 52.64 in a winning cause in the WTC. Three of his tons have come in 11 matches won by Pakistan in this period.