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Babar Azam joins Saeed Anwar at top with 20 ODI centuries

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has written his name into the history books by equaling the national record for most ODI centuries by a Pakistani player.

In the second ODI against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Azam struck a superb 102 off 119 balls, matching Saeed Anwar’s long-standing record of 20 ODI hundreds.

Babar reached this milestone in just 136 innings, placing him among the fastest to reach 20 ODI centuries.

 South Africa’s Hashim Amla tops the list with 108 innings, followed by India’s Virat Kohli, who achieved it in 133 innings. In contrast, Saeed Anwar had needed 244 innings to complete his 20 hundreds.

Azam’s latest century serves as a major morale boost for Pakistan cricket and further strengthens his status as one of the premier batsmen in world cricket today.

Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has chosen not to engage with critics who questioned his form over the past two years, stating that his job is to play cricket and deliver on the field. He emphasised that his complete focus remains on performance rather than responding to criticism.

Speaking at a press conference after Pakistan’s impressive victory in the second ODI against Sri Lanka, Babar said that although the last two years were challenging, he worked hard on his fitness, batting, and fielding. “Whenever difficult times come, you must trust yourself,” he added.

Babar acknowledged the support he received from fans during tough phases, saying their encouragement gave him great confidence. He said he batted according to the team’s plan, and scoring a century helped restore his self-belief. “I trusted myself to score a hundred,” he noted.

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the second match of the three-match ODI series.

Babar is now the third-fastest player in the world to score 20 ODI centuries in the fewest innings.