On April 9, 2026, during Peshawar Zalmi’s dominating 159-run win over Karachi Kings in PSL 2026, the 31-year-old Pakistani batting maestro etched his name in T20 cricket history — becoming the fastest batter ever to reach 12,000 T20 runs, surpassing legends Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli in the process.
Babar Azam’s Record-Breaking Knock
Babar’s unbeaten 87 off 51 deliveries, laced with 10 fours and 2 sixes, was the engine behind Zalmi’s massive total. He needed just 13 runs heading into the game and crossed the milestone as early as the fourth over — calm, clinical, and completely inevitable.
This wasn’t just another innings. It was a statement.
Fastest to 12,000 T20 Runs — Where the Legends Stand
Babar reached the landmark in just 338 innings, breaking the record previously held by Chris Gayle, who achieved the feat in 343 innings. Virat Kohli sits third, having taken 360 innings to reach the same milestone. insidesport
| Position | Player | Innings Taken |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Babar Azam | 338 |
| 🥈 2 | Chris Gayle | 343 |
| 🥉 3 | Virat Kohli | 360 |
| 4 | David Warner | 368 |
| 5 | Jos Buttler | 405 |
A Historic Double for Pakistan
With this achievement, Babar also became only the second Pakistani batter after Shoaib Malik to reach the 12,000 T20 run mark. For a nation that has produced some of cricket’s greatest entertainers, that’s a lineage worth celebrating.
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Why This Record Matters
Numbers tell part of the story — but the speed of this record tells everything about Babar’s consistency across formats, franchises, and conditions. He didn’t just outlast his rivals; he arrived at this milestone five innings faster than Gayle and a full 22 innings ahead of Kohli. In T20 terms, that’s practically a different era.
