The moment the crowd erupted and the sky filled with celebratory gestures, it was clear how much the breakthrough meant to Babar Azam. On Sunday, the Pakistan batter finally broke a long spell without a century, and his emotions during the celebration captured the relief perfectly. Playing for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League 2026, Babar delivered the kind of innings that changes the mood of an entire franchise—hammering a match-defining hundred against the Quetta Gladiators.
Babar finished unbeaten on 100 from just 52 balls, striking six fours and four sixes. His power-packed knock set the tone early and kept accelerating as the innings progressed, lifting Peshawar Zalmi to a commanding total of 255/3 in 20 overs at the National Stadium in Karachi. With that kind of platform, the match quickly swung into Peshawar’s favour.
Quetta Gladiators, in response, never truly found traction. They were bowled out for 137, handing Peshawar Zalmi a convincing 118-run win. The margin reflected both the strength of Babar’s innings and the overall control Peshawar showed while defending the score.
While the century was the headline, one detail stood out even more for its rarity. Babar managed only a single dot ball throughout his 52-ball stay at the crease—an extraordinary display of timing and consistency in T20 cricket. It also became a landmark in the shortest format, marking the first time in T20 history that a batter faced more than 50 deliveries while recording only one dot ball.
The relief was visible the instant he removed his helmet to celebrate. After enduring a lean patch, Babar had to wait 783 days to reach the three-figure mark, making the milestone feel even more significant. That long journey to the century only added weight to what he achieved in this innings.
Babar’s day also carried a second major milestone: he reached 12,000 T20 runs in 338 innings, the fastest to the figure in the format. In the process, he moved past Chris Gayle, who took 344 innings, and Virat Kohli, who reached the landmark in 360 innings.
