Rawalpindi, October 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pakistan batter Babar Azam became the fifth cricketer from the country to cross 16,000 international runs, reaching the milestone during the opening ODI of the ongoing tri-series against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
The 32-year-old achieved the landmark in his 399th international innings, making him the third-fastest Pakistan batter to reach the mark. Mohammad Yousuf leads the list with 388 innings, followed by Javed Miandad, who took 398.
Babar joined an elite group featuring Miandad, Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, all of whom have scored more than 16,000 runs across Tests, ODIs and T20Is.
The former Pakistan white-ball captain needed just seven runs at the start of the match to reach the milestone. He came in at No. 3 after opener Saim Ayub was dismissed in the third over, bowled by Dilshan Madushanka.
Babar opened his account with a well-timed drive against Asitha Fernando and followed it with another shot through the off-side, collecting three runs to complete the landmark.
He continued to score fluently before Eshan Malinga dismissed him for 45 off 57 balls. His innings included six boundaries and provided Pakistan with a useful contribution in the opening match of the three-team contest.
Pakistan are hosting Sri Lanka and England in the ODI tri-series, which features seven matches in a double round-robin format. The top two teams will qualify for the final, scheduled to be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on October 31.
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