Rohit Sharma vs Babar Azam: Decoding their T20I stats
India skipper Rohit Sharma is one of the greats in white-ball cricket. He is arguably one of the most destructive batters in T20Is, with a strong penchant for boundary-hitting. Pakistan's Babar Azam is another laud-worthy candidate in this format. The 27-year-old has a never-ending appetite for runs that have made him a prolific performer in the shortest format. We decode their T20I stats.
Highest run-getter in T20Is
Rohit is currently the highest run-scorer in T20Is. Notably, he became the first player to breach the 3,300-run mark in this format. The talented cricketer has amassed 3,313 runs in 125 T20Is. He averages an impressive 32.48 and has struck at a note-worthy rate of 139.55. New Zealand's Martin Guptill (3,299) and former India skipper Virat Kohli (3,296) follow suit.
Most hundreds in T20Is
Rohit has slammed four hundreds, most by any player in T20Is. He hammered 106 against South Africa in 2015. Then, he clocked a 43-ball 118 versus SL in 2017. In 2018, Rohit clobbered a 56-ball 100* against England, and a few months later, he smashed a 61-ball 111* against WI. Colin Munro and Glenn Maxwell have the joint-second-most tons in this format (three).
Joint-most fifties in T20Is
As per ESPNcricinfo, Rohit has 30 fifty-plus scores in T20Is, the joint-most in this format. He shares this record with Virat, who has 30 fifties to his name. Meanwhile, Rohit has four hundreds and 26 fifties.
Second-most sixes and third-most fours in T20Is
Rohit has pummelled an awe-striking tally of 155 sixes in the format. He ranks behind Guptill (165) in this regard. Notably, he is one of eight cricketers with over 100 sixes in T20 Internationals. Chris Gayle (124), Eoin Morgan (120), and Aaron Finch (117) follow suit. Rohit also has the third-most fours (293), with Ireland's Paul Stirling (319) and Kohli (298) ranking above him.
Sixth-highest run-getter in T20Is
Babar ranks sixth among the leading run-getters in T20Is. Since making his T20I debut in 2016, the stylish batter has slammed 2,686 runs in 74 matches. He averages 45.52 and has pummelled 26 half-centuries and a hundred (122 vs SA). He is one of the three Pakistani batters to have clocked over 2,000 runs in this format (Mohammad Hafeez: 2,514 and Shoaib Malik: 2,435).
Fastest to 2,000 T20I runs
On April 25, 2021, Babar struck 52 against Zimbabwe to become the fastest batter to reach 2,000 T20I runs. He attained the feat in 52 innings, bettering Kohli's tally (56). Notably, it took him only four years and 280 days to attain this milestone.
Win record as a captain in T20Is
On October 18, 2019, Babar replaced Sarfaraz Ahmed as the T20I captain for Pakistan. So far, he has led them in 41 T20Is that include 26 wins and 10 losses. Meanwhile, Rohit has a stellar 24-4 win-loss record while captaining in T20Is.
Performance as a captain in this format
Babar has hoarded 1,396 runs across 41 matches that he has captained. He averages 42.30 and has maintained a strike rate of 132.19. The stylish batter has struck one hundred and 16 fifties. Meanwhile, Rohit has compiled 987 runs in 28 matches. He averages 37.96 and has struck at an impeccable rate of 153.49. He has battered two hundred and seven fifties.
