Fastest 1000 runs as ODI captain: Fastest to 1000 ODI runs as captain by innings

Fastest 1000 runs as ODI captain: The Pakistani captain is scoring runs for fun in spite of the added leadership responsibility.

During the first ODI of the ongoing West Indies’ tour of Pakistan in Multan yesterday, Pakistan captain Babar Azam scored his 17th ODI century in a winning effort. In the process, Azam became the first-ever cricketer to score three consecutive ODI centuries twice in a career.

Coming in to bat at No. 3 in the seventh over of a 306-run chase, Azam scored an assured 103 (107) with the help of nine fours before getting out in the 42nd over.

Playing his first-ever international match at the Multan Cricket Stadium, Azam scored 11 (21) before hitting West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph for his first boundary of the night. Not affected by the need to score over six runs per over to win the match, Azam was secure enough to take his time whilst scoring the occasional boundary in a crucial 103-run second-wicket partnership with opening batter Imam-ul-Haq (65).

It was on the first delivery of the 26th over that Azam slashed Joseph for a boundary to complete a half-century with Pakistan requiring more than seven runs per over to win the match. Azam, who hit Joseph for another boundary in the same over, more or less continued in a similar fashion before completing his century via a boundary off spinner Hayden Walsh in the 41st over.

Last night, it was truly a crowd conquering performance in front of the impressive Multan crowd.

Every single member of my pack is a champion and they fight like one.

One game at a time. pic.twitter.com/wPyWSbZsxe

— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) June 9, 2022

In what was his fifth ODI century against West Indies, it is the most for him against any opposition in this format. Also his fifth ODI century at home, it was Azam’s sixth as captain and third this year.

Fastest 1000 runs as ODI captain

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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