A List of All Babar Azam Centuries
August 4, 2024
August 4, 2024
In 2016, Pakistan’s cricket team, ranked 9th in ODIs, was struggling and lacked hope until a player from Lahore captured the fans’ attention. Pakistani cricket fans were used to these disappointments until Babar Azam came along, showcasing exceptional skill and class. His remarkable journey from a ball-picker to becoming the captain of Pakistan in all formats is celebrated worldwide.
During his debut ODI World Cup in 2019, Babar Azam broke Javed Miandad’s record for the most runs in a single World Cup for Pakistan. In recent years, he has set numerous records, including being named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2021 and 2022, ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2022, and he is the only captain to lead Pakistan to the #1 ODI ranking and to defeat India in a World Cup.
Babar Azam has rightfully earned the title “Badshah of Cricket” from the ICC, as he is the only player to be ranked in the top 5 in all formats. Known for his consistent centuries, we’ll now explore his achievements from different perspectives here in sportsiqo.
Babar Azam’s achievements across all formats of cricket highlight his exceptional skill. He has already scored 31 centuries early in his career, and he’s still improving. Below, we will outline his centuries in each format: ODIs, Tests, and T20s.
Babar Azam faced difficulties in his first 15 Test matches, accumulating only 744 runs. However, after scoring his first Test century against New Zealand in 2018, he has since made 3,025 runs in just 34 matches. In Test cricket, Babar has hit 9 centuries in 49 matches, with an average of 47.75.
In 2022, he was included in the ICC Test Team of the Year after leading the run-scoring charts with a total of 1,184 runs. His Test career is steadily improving.
Babar Azam has excelled in One Day Internationals (ODIs) since his debut. His centuries in this format are impressive, and he recently set a record by reaching 19 centuries in just 102 innings, the fastest ever. He also holds the record for the most runs (5,089) after 100 ODI matches and has the highest average in the world at 59.5. His consistency and ability to turn good starts into big scores make him stand out.
Babar Azam is the second player to achieve 10 or more centuries in T20 cricket overall. In T20 Internationals, he shares the record for the second-most centuries (3). Remarkably, two of his three T20I centuries were scored while chasing targets over 200 runs, a feat no other player has accomplished.
Since 2020, Babar has consistently ranked among the top three T20I batsmen. He has also scored the fourth most runs in T20 Internationals (3485) within just eight years of playing international cricket.
Babar Azam first gained attention in the cricket world when he scored three consecutive centuries against the West Indies in the 2016 ODI series. Five of his total centuries have been against the West Indies. On the spin-friendly pitches of the subcontinent, Babar excelled against Sri Lankan mystery spinners, scoring six centuries against them.
Babar Azam also thrives against fast bowlers, which is evident in his impressive record against Australia, New Zealand, and England. He has scored 14 centuries against these top teams, highlighting his skill as a batsman.
Around 44% of his international runs have been scored against SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia), indicating his potential to become one of the greats. Babar is unique in cricket history for achieving three consecutive centuries on two different occasions.
In Test Cricket, Babar Azam has scored six centuries at home and three abroad. Two of these away centuries were achieved under challenging conditions, with scores of 104 against Australia and a match-winning 119 against Sri Lanka. His home performance is outstanding, boasting an average of 71. Although he played most of his away Test matches early in his career, a now more experienced Babar Azam is yet to dominate in those conditions.
Babar’s preferred format is ODI Cricket, where he is close to breaking Saeed Anwar’s record for the most centuries by a Pakistani batter. He has reached 19 hundreds in just 102 innings: 12 away and 7 at home. Additionally, Babar Azam holds a unique record of scoring a T20I century both at home and away while chasing a target above 200.
Here is a list of Babar Azam’s centuries scored in different countries:
Pakistan- 15
We will highlight 5 of Babar Azam’s most impressive centuries. Let’s delve deeper into their details:
When his team was down to just 101 runs with 6 wickets lost, a young Babar Azam took to the crease. His century highlighted his future promise, demonstrating his composure, skill, and ability with the bat. He partnered with the lower order for approximately 23 overs, playing a crucial role.
In a vital ODI match, Pakistan set a target of 220. After facing significant criticism for his performance against Sri Lanka in the test series, Babar responded by scoring consecutive centuries in the format he excels in, effectively addressing his critics.
This performance gave hope to the unpredictable Pakistan team, suggesting that they could finally rely on a batsman for consistency and stability.
The emergence of Babar Azam as a top-tier ODI batter was highlighted in a crucial World Cup 2019 match against New Zealand. Facing sharp spin and early breakthroughs from New Zealand’s pacers, Pakistan needed to chase 238 runs on a challenging pitch with uneven patches. Losing would have resulted in being eliminated from the tournament.
This scenario provided Babar Azam the perfect opportunity to demonstrate his exceptional skills. New Zealand’s high-quality bowlers tested his abilities to the fullest.
After a cautious start, Babar faced bowlers like Southee, Ferguson, and Boult, even hitting difficult slog sweeps against Mitchell Santner. He scored an unbeaten 101, proving wrong those who had criticized him as a selfish player incapable of finishing games.
After excelling in limited-overs cricket, fans hoped Babar Azam would also excel in Test cricket. While he did score some impressive centuries both at home and abroad, they didn’t fully reflect his potential as a batsman.
In the 2nd Test Match at the National Stadium in Karachi, Australia set a daunting target of 506 runs on the third day. To save the match, Pakistan needed to bat for about five sessions. It seemed almost impossible to survive against Australia’s bowlers Cummins, Starc, and Lyon on the fourth and fifth days.
When Babar came in to bat, Pakistan was struggling at 21-2. He batted for over 600 minutes, inspiring confidence in teammates like Abdullah and Rizwan, who also made significant contributions. Babar’s career-best innings of 196 runs included 21 fours and a six. His remarkable performance was highlighted in an Australian documentary, “THE TEST,” where an Australian coach remarked:
“Almost immediately, you got the feeling that he was set in concrete. He was going to take an awful lot of blasting out.”
Babar Azam faced heavy criticism for his strike rate before the T20 series in South Africa. Despite averaging over 50 and anchoring Pakistan’s innings to set high totals, many experts argued that the anchoring strategy doesn’t work in T20 cricket. Some even claimed Babar could never achieve a strike rate of 200 in this format.
In response, Babar proved his critics wrong with his performance. Chasing a target of 204, which was considered beyond Pakistan’s reach in South Africa, Babar and Muhammad Rizwan aggressively attacked the bowlers from the start. Babar scored his first T20I century in just 49 balls. Pakistan achieved their highest-ever successful chase, with Babar scoring 122 runs off 59 balls at a strike rate of 206.77. His remarkable innings earned him the nickname “Babar Sher (lion).”
Historically, Pakistani batters have struggled against South African bowlers in the bouncy conditions typical of South Africa. In the first ODI match of the 2021 series, South Africa set a challenging target of 274 runs. After losing Fakhar early, Babar Azam and Imam steadied the innings. Despite the difficult conditions, Babar took on the bowlers effectively.
Babar’s century, which he scored with 103 runs, was his second match-winning century in an away game. It was significant because it made him the number one ODI batter in the world, a position previously held by Virat Kohli since 2017. Legendary commentator Mike Haysman praised this remarkable innings, saying, “The Artist has painted a wonderful picture.”
If you’re a fan of explosive cricket moments, don’t miss my post on the Top 5 Performances of Kieron Pollard in IPL history. See how he’s made an unforgettable mark on the tournament!
Babar Azam’s ability to convert his innings into centuries shows his exceptional skill and composure as a top batter. In just 8 years of international play, he is already 4th on Pakistan’s list for the most centuries. He is also the only captain to have scored 3 centuries in T20 internationals.
With at least another decade of international cricket ahead, Babar Azam is poised to break many more records. Having recently reached his peak, cricket fans are eagerly anticipating his continued dominance.
