Babar Azam, the former captain and Pakistan batting stalwart, surpassed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as the highest run scorer in T20 Internationals.
In Friday night's second Twenty20 International against South Africa in Lahore, Babar accomplished the feat by scoring 11 from 18 balls.
However, a detailed examination of the top five T20 run scorers provides a clear explanation for Babar's exclusion from the Pakistan T20 team from December 2024 prior to his unexpected reinstatement for the South Africa series.
Babar has now scored 4234 runs at an average of 39.57 in 123 games, according to the statistics, but his strike rate and number of sixes hit in comparison to the other players on the list are what really worth noticing.
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Among Rohit, Kohli, Jos Butler, and Paul Sterling, Babar has the lowest strike rate (128.77) and has hit the fewest sixes (73).
Rohit has struck 205 sixes with a strike rate of 140.89, while Virat has hit 124 sixes with a strike rate of 137.04.
Butler has struck 172 sixes with a strike rate of 148.97, while Ireland's Sterling has hit 133 sixes with a strike rate of 134.86.
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Experts in T20 cricket place greater value on strike rates and six-hitting prowess than batting averages.
Babar's inability to increase his strike rate and hit boundaries and sixes under pressure was the cause for his initial removal from the T20 team.
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