Pakistan’s batting maestro Babar Azam stands on the brink of two monumental achievements as the national team prepares to take on West Indies in the first ODI of a three-match series. The match, scheduled for Friday night (11 PM PST) at Trinidad’s Brian Lara Cricket Academy, could see Babar equal Saeed Anwar’s long-standing record of 20 ODI centuries for Pakistan. Currently at 19 tons in just 131 matches, Babar needs just one more to match Anwar’s tally, which took 247 matches to achieve.
Beyond national glory, Babar is also chasing a global milestone. With 19 centuries in 128 innings, he is five innings away from surpassing Virat Kohli (133 innings) as the second-fastest batter to 20 ODI centuries. Only South Africa’s Hashim Amla (108 innings) reached the mark quicker. If Babar scores his next century within four innings, he will overtake Kohli in the record books—a testament to his consistency and class.
The top five Pakistani centurions in ODIs highlight Babar’s dominance: Saeed Anwar (20), Babar Azam (19*), Mohammad Yousuf (15), Fakhar Zaman (11), and Mohammad Hafeez (11). Notably, Babar has reached his tally in far fewer matches than his predecessors, reinforcing his status as one of Pakistan’s greatest-ever ODI batters.
As anticipation builds for tonight’s clash, fans eagerly await whether Babar will seize the moment and make history. A century would not only tie Anwar’s record but also edge him closer to eclipsing Kohli’s feat.