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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan batting maestro Babar Azam stands on the cusp of several career-defining milestones during the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, beginning today at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The 31-year-old right-hander has an impressive record against Sri Lanka, scoring 535 runs in just 11 innings at an average of 53.50, including three centuries.
Another ton in the upcoming series would see him join former Pakistan stars Mohammad Hafeez and Inzamam-ul-Haq as the joint second-highest century-makers against the Islanders, with four centuries each.
The all-time record, however, remains with Saeed Anwar, who struck seven hundreds in 52 matches.
Babar also has a chance to surpass Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan, who amassed 636 ODI runs against Sri Lanka.
A tally of 102 runs in this series would push Babar ahead on that list, further cementing his dominance against one of Pakistan’s longest-standing rivals.
The former captain is also closing in on a major home record.
With 4,848 runs across formats in Pakistan at an average of 51.57, Babar needs just 152 more to become only the fourth Pakistani batter to cross 5,000 international runs on home soil, joining Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Mohammad Yousuf.
Additionally, Babar Azam is just one century away from matching Saeed Anwar’s record for the most ODI hundreds by a Pakistani batter.
Anwar leads with 20 centuries, followed closely by Babar’s 19. Should Babar reach the 20-century mark within his next 41 innings, he will eclipse AB de Villiers to become the third-fastest player in history to achieve the feat, trailing only Hashim Amla (108 innings) and Virat Kohli (133 innings).
Fastest Players to 20 ODI Centuries:
Pakistan enter the series on a high, having recently defeated South Africa 2-1 in both the T20I and ODI series, while the Test series ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
The three ODIs between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played on November 11, 13, and 15 in Rawalpindi.
Historically, the sides have clashed 157 times in ODIs, with Pakistan holding a strong edge, winning 93 matches compared to Sri Lanka’s 59.
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