Babar Azam Breaks Virat Kohli Record Before Ending 783-Day Century Drought in Style

Babar Azam created history by overtaking Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle in an elite T20 record before delivering a long-awaited century that ended a 783-day drought during Peshawar Zalmi's dominant win over Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2026.

The Pakistan star became the fastest batter in T20 history to reach 12,000 runs, achieving the milestone in just 338 innings. In doing so, he went past West Indies great Chris Gayle, who had reached the landmark in 344 innings, and India's Virat Kohli, who had previously done it in 360 innings.

The record-setting moment set the tone for what turned into a memorable night for Babar, who followed the milestone with a commanding century that marked his return to form in emphatic fashion.

How Babar overtook Virat Kohli milestone - and what followed

Virat Kohli had long been among the quickest batters to reach 12,000 T20 runs, achieving the milestone in 360 innings through remarkable consistency across IPL and international cricket. Chris Gayle, known for his explosive batting, had previously set the pace with 344 innings, making both names benchmarks in the format.

Babar not only surpassed both legends in terms of innings taken but did so while maintaining impressive consistency across leagues and international cricket. His achievement also placed him among the select group of batters with over 12,000 runs in T20 cricket - a list dominated by some of the format's greatest names.

The milestone was quickly followed by a match-defining innings that turned the record-setting day into a historic one. Having already crossed the landmark, Babar went on to score a commanding century, underlining his return to form after a lengthy wait for three figures.

Partnership milestones add to Virat Kohli comparison

Babar's innings featured a crucial 135-run partnership with Kusal Mendis, who scored an aggressive 83 off 44 balls. The stand proved decisive in building Zalmi's massive total and also helped Babar match another record associated with Virat Kohli.

The partnership marked Babar's 47th century stand in T20 cricket, drawing him level with Kohli for the most century partnerships in the format. This statistic further strengthened the comparison between the two batters, both known for building innings around partnerships and consistency rather than relying solely on power hitting.

Additional key stats from the innings included:

• 100* runs off 52 balls
• 6 fours and 4 sixes
• Strike rate above 190
• Only 1 dot ball faced
• 12th T20 century overall
• Fastest to 12,000 T20 runs (338 innings)
• Joint-most century partnerships in T20 cricket (47, level with Kohli)

Babar Azam Century ends long wait as Zalmi post massive total

Babar's unbeaten 100 off 52 balls powered Peshawar Zalmi to a formidable total of 255/3 in 20 overs - one of the highest scores in PSL history. The innings carried extra significance as it ended his wait for a T20 hundred, with his previous century coming back in February 2024.

He struck six boundaries and four sixes during the knock, maintaining control throughout the innings while rarely allowing the bowlers to settle. Remarkably, he played just a single dot ball in the entire innings - the first instance in T20 cricket where a batter has faced more than 50 deliveries while registering only one dot ball.

The innings also became his 12th T20 century, placing him second on the list of batters with the most hundreds in the format, with Chris Gayle still leading the chart with 22 centuries.

Babar Azam Partnership with Mendis lays foundation

Babar found strong support from Kusal Mendis, who played an aggressive innings of 83 off 44 balls. The duo stitched together a crucial 135-run partnership that shifted the momentum firmly in Zalmi's favour and laid the foundation for their towering total.

The stand also saw Babar equal another record, bringing up his 47th century partnership in T20 cricket - drawing level with Virat Kohli at the top of that list. It once again underlined his consistency in contributing to big totals across formats.

The century not only marked a return to form for Babar Azam but also strengthened his standing in the tournament's run charts. With over 400 runs in seven innings this season, he has emerged as one of the leading performers in PSL 2026.

More importantly, the innings reflected a shift in intent - balancing patience with calculated aggression - and reaffirmed his place among the most consistent T20 batters of his generation. By breaking records previously held by Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle and delivering a historic century in the same match, Babar ensured that the night would be remembered as one of the defining performances of the PSL 2026 season.