Babar Azam’s milestone highlighted in Sri Lanka tri‑series opener

Raveli Pindi, 18 Oct – The opening match of the Sri Lanka tri‑series became a landmark for Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam, who crossed the 16,000‑run threshold in international cricket. The right‑handed star achieved the milestone with a modest 45‑run knock, taking his total to 16,000‑plus after 399 innings – the third‑quickest by a Pakistani.

His new record makes him the fifth Pakistani to reach this level, joining the ranks of Mohammad Yousuf, Javed Miandad, Inzamam‑ul‑Haq and Younis Khan. Azam’s overall statistics now include 4,771 Test runs, 4,596 T20 runs and 6,671 ODI runs.

Pakistan’s innings ended at 305, with Salman Aga scoring 107. Sri Lanka’s Ishan Malinga claimed four wickets, while Asitha Fernando took three. The tri‑series, featuring Sri Lanka and England, follows a double round‑robin format with seven matches and a final scheduled for 31 Oct at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.