Records toppled during Pakistan’s third T20I clash against Ireland, which saw skipper Babar Azam surpass India’s stalwart batter Virat Kohli’s record.
Pakistan bounced back after the first T20I upset and clinched back-to-back victories to seal the series. They prevailed over the hosts with a 6-wicket win in Dublin on Tuesday.
Babar was at his best with the bat with his knock of 75 off 42 deliveries, which was laced with five maximums and six boundaries.
With his splendid performance with the bat, he became the batter with the most 50-plus runs in the T20I format.
This marked the 39th occasion when Babar struck more than 50 runs in the shortest format of cricket.
Kohli has scored 50-plus runs in the T20I format 38 times while India skipper Rohit Sharma has achieved the feat 34 times.
Among other records, Babar became the first Pakistan batter to score 25 runs in one over in the format against Ireland.
He struck four sixes in Benjamin White’s over for the first time in his career. Apart from dealing in sixes, Babar also took a single to amass 25 runs from a single over.
In the third T20I, Babar forged a 139-run stand with Mohammad Rizwan (56) for the second wicket. Their partnership laid the foundation for Pakistan’s success after Saim Ayub failed to provide an ideal start for the team.
This marked the 10th-century partnership between the two Pakistan star batters in T20Is. They became the first pair to achieve the feat. Along with this, they also became the first pair to accumulate 3,000 runs in partnership.
Ireland’s experienced duo Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie have amassed 2,043 runs in partnership, while India’s opening duo Rohit and KL Rahul have five-century partnerships in the shortest format of cricket.
After the conclusion of their three-match series against Ireland, Pakistan will travel to England. This will be the final opportunity for Pakistan to find the combination that they desire before the World Cup.
The four-match T20I series will begin on May 22 at Headingley Carnegie. Both teams will play the final match of the series on May 30 at The Oval, London. (ANI)
