Babar Azam set to return to Pakistan's T20I set-up for the first time since December 2024
Babar needs 8 runs to equal Rohit Sharma's tally; 9 runs to become the highest run-scorer in Men's T20 internationals
Pakistan welcome South Africa for the 1st T20I tonight at the Rawalpindi Stadium
Former all-format captain Babar Azam could be making history in the shortest format when Pakistan welcome South Africa in the 1st of a 3-match T20I series, starting (Oct 28) tonight. This will be Babar's first appearance in the T20 team since December 2024.
The 31-year-old batter's last T20 game was also against South Africa back in December 13, 2024 at Centurion where he had a score of 31 off 20. Since then, Babar Azam has not been included in the side and he also missed the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai last month.
Babar will replace Fakhar Zaman for the T20I series against the Proteas after the left-hand batter decided to take a short break from the format and focus on domestic cricket.
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson, during a press conference on the eve of the 1st T20I, confirmed that Babar Azam will replace Fakhar Zaman and bat at number 3. "It's a great opportunity to get Babar back into the squad. He is likely to bat at three, so it's a role that I'm very confident he will be able to do well in." - Hesson said.
Babar's return to the shortest format holds plenty of anticipation for not only the Pakistani fans, but also for those around the world. He is on the verge of overtaking former India captain Rohit Sharma to become the leading the run-scorer in T20Is.
8 runs will help him equal Rohit's tally and anything more than that will put him at the summit. Rohit Sharma left the T20I scene at 4231 runs from 159 matches. Babar, who overtook Virat Kohli in the list last year, currently has 4223 runs in 128 matches.
Although there is a notable difference in both of their strike rates, Babar will only focus on topping Rohit and become the highest run-scorer of the format. The former Pakistan captain has scored 4223 runs at a strike rate of nearly 130, averaging 39.83, scoring 3 centuries and 36 half-centuries.
Top 10 Highest Run Scorers In T20 Internationals
| Player | Matches | Runs | Highest Score | Strike Rate |
| Rohit Sharma | 159 | 4231 | 121 | 140.89 |
| Babar Azam | 128 | 4223 | 122 | 129.22 |
| Virat Kohli | 125 | 4188 | 122 | 137.04 |
| Jos Buttler | 144 | 3869 | 101 | 148.97 |
| Paul Stirling | 153 | 3710 | 115 | 134.86 |
| Martin Guptill | 122 | 3531 | 105 | 135.7 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | 106 | 3414 | 104 | 125.37 |
| David Warner | 110 | 3277 | 100 | 142.47 |
| Muhammad Waseem | 91 | 3184 | 112 | 151.76 |
| Aaron Finch | 103 | 3120 | 172 | 142.53 |
PAK Vs SA 1st T20I: Squads
Pakistan Squad: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan(w), Babar Azam, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha(c), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Abrar Ahmed, Salman Mirza, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq, Abdul Samad
South Africa Squad: Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza Hendricks, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira(c), George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Nqabayomzi Peter, Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger, Lizaad Williams, Tony de Zorzi, Matthew Breetzke, Ottneil Baartman, Andile Simelane
