Babar Azam becomes top run-scorer in first 25 ODI innings

KARACHI: Continuing to add records after records to his credit, Pakistan's extraordinary batting talent Babar Azam became top-run scorer in first 25 ODI innings with a match winning knock of 125 runs against West Indies in the second ODI.

22-year-old Babar Azam smashed three sixes and stroked seven boundaries to score 125 off 132 deliveries, taking his total career runs to 1306 in first 25 ODI innings, a world record of most runs after first 25 innings of career, surpassing England's Jonathan Trott.

The Pakistani batsman earlier entered the record books to join batting stalwarts like Viv Richards, Quinton de Kock, Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott in the list of quickest to 1000 runs in ODIs, they all reached the thousand runs milestone in 21st innings.

On Sunday, while playing his 25th ODI innings, Babar set another record, this time of most ODI career runs after first 25 innings of career.

He surpassed Jonathan Trott's 1280 runs after his initial 25 ODI innings. West Indian great Sir Viv Richards had scored 1211 runs after first 25 innings of his career. England's Kevin Pietersen scored 1189 and South Africa's Quinton de Kock has scored 1181 in their initial 25 ODI innings.

Babar, with his 4th century against West Indies, becomes jointly the second in the list of players scoring most ODI centuries against the former World Champions. India's Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa's Kallis have also scored four centuries each against West Indies. South African trio of Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and H Gibbs are joint leaders of the list with five centuries each against Caribbean side in ODIs.

No other Pakistani has scored more than two ODI centuries against West Indies. Mohammad Yousaf, Ramiz Raja and Saeed Anwar have scored in three figures against West Indies only twice in their careers.

The century was also Babar's 5th career ODI hundred, jointly the most number of ODI tons after playing 25 ODIs. South Africa's Quinton de Kock had also scored 5 centuries in first 25 ODI innings of his career, however de Kock's 5th century came in his 19th ODI.

Babar Azam's career average against West Indies 124.50 (after scoring 498 runs in 5 innings) is highest by any player, so far, against WI.

This is also the highest batting average by an individual against any single opponent.