Babar Azam Shines with Century as Peshawar Zalmi Dominates Quetta Gladiators

Babar Azam's Remarkable Comeback

Star cricketer Babar Azam marked the end of his T20 century drought with a stunning performance for Peshawar Zalmi during their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 clash against Quetta Gladiators on Sunday. Peshawar delivered an impressive display, amassing a formidable total of 255 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in their 20 overs, while Quetta could only manage 137 runs, resulting in a significant victory by 118 runs. After a lengthy 783-day wait, the former captain, who had been struggling with his form, finally reached the three-figure mark. This century not only signified his return to form but also allowed him to surpass the legendary Indian batsman Virat Kohli in the T20 batting rankings.

Babar Breaks Records

Babar Azam became the fastest player to achieve 12,000 runs in T20 cricket, accomplishing this milestone in just 338 innings. He outpaced Kohli, who reached this landmark in 360 innings, and Chris Gayle, who did it in 344 innings. With this century against Quetta, Babar now holds the second position for the most T20 centuries, trailing only Gayle, who has 22 centuries to his name. Babar's last T20 century was recorded back in February 2024.

During his innings, the 31-year-old set a new record by scoring 100 runs off just 52 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes, while facing only one dot ball. This marked the first instance in T20 history where a player faced more than 50 balls and had just one dot ball. Kusal Mendis also played a crucial role in Peshawar's innings, scoring 83 runs off 44 balls. Their partnership of 135 runs was instrumental in achieving Peshawar's total of 255/3, which stands as the third-highest team score in PSL history. For Quetta, Bevon Jacobs was the top scorer with 34 runs, as they were bowled out for 137. Mohammad Basit and Ali Raza each took three wickets for Peshawar, while Aaron Hardie added two more to the tally.