Pakistan skipper Babar Azam centuries have made him a modern-day legend and he is well on his way to becoming a superstar.
Babar Azam centuries have been a regular occurrence in world cricket in the last few years. The Pakistan cricketer is highly popular among fans and if you're looking for more information about him, you're in the right place. So let's get going.
Babar Azam is arguably the best batting talent Pakistan has ever produced and has lived up to every bit of it. He has been the rock for Pakistan's batting unit in the last few years, piling on runs for fun in all three formats.
Babar Azam is amongst the best batters of his generation, competing with the likes of Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson. All eyes will be on the Pakistan limited-overs captain when they begin the build-up for the ODI World Cup.
Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar centuries in international cricket
Contents
Babar Azam Centuries: Tests, ODIs and T20Is
List of Babar Azam Test centuries
| Date | Runs | Opponent | Venue |
| 24 Nov 2018 | 127* | v New Zealand | Dubai |
| 21 Nov 2019 | 104 | v Australia | Brisbane |
| 11 Dec 2019 | 102* | v Sri Lanka | Rawalpindi |
| 19 Dec 2019 | 100* | v Sri Lanka | Karachi |
| 7 Feb 2020 | 143 | v Bangladesh | Rawalpindi |
| 12 Mar 2022 | 196 | v Australia | Karachi |
| 16 Jul 2022 | 119 | v Sri Lanka | Galle |
| 1 Dec 2022 | 136 | v England | Rawalpindi |
| 26 Dec 2022 | 161 | v New Zealand | Karachi |
List of Babar Azam ODI centuries
| Date | Runs | Opponent | Venue |
| 30 Sep 2016 | 120 | v West Indies | Sharjah |
| 2 Oct 2016 | 123 | v West Indies | Sharjah |
| 5 Oct 2016 | 117 | v West Indies | Abu Dhabi |
| 26 Jan 2017 | 100 | v Australia | Adelaide |
| 9 Apr 2017 | 125* | v West Indies | Providence |
| 13 Oct 2017 | 103 | v Sri Lanka | Dubai (DSC) |
| 16 Oct 2017 | 101 | v Sri Lanka | Abu Dhabi |
| 22 Jul 2018 | 106* | v Zimbabwe | Bulawayo |
| 17 May 2019 | 115 | v England | Nottingham |
| 26 Jun 2019 | 101* | v New Zealand | Birmingham |
| 30 Sep 2019 | 115 | v Sri Lanka | Karachi |
| 3 Nov 2020 | 125 | v Zimbabwe | Rawalpindi |
| 2 Apr 2021 | 103 | v South Africa | Centurion |
| 13 Jul 2021 | 158 | v England | Birmingham |
| 31 Mar 2022 | 114 | v Australia | Lahore |
| 2 Apr 2022 | 105* | v Australia | Lahore |
| 8 Jun 2022 | 103 | v West Indies | Multan |
| 5 May 2023 | 107 | v New Zealand | Karachi |
List of Babar Azam T20I Centuries
| Date | Score | Opponent | Venue |
| 14 Apr 2021 | 122 | South Africa | Centurion |
| 22 Sep 2022 | 110* | England | Karachi |
| 15 Apr 2023 | 101* | New Zealand | Lahore |
Most memorable Babar Azam centuries
Most Babar Azam centuries are an absolute delight to watch, with classical strokeplay as good as it gets. He has several impactful performances for Pakistan and here we will take a look at some of his top centuries.
Top Babar Azam centuries in Tests
104 vs Australia, Brisbane 2019
The tour of Australia is one of the toughest challenges for players from the subcontinent. And for that reason alone, this knock by Babar Azam against the strong Australian attack at the Gabba remains special. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were excellent in the first innings to bowl out Pakistan for 240.
The hosts then went on to post a mammoth 580 on the back of David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne centuries. The visitors were rattled in the second innings as well, losing half the side for 94 runs. Babar produced a superb batting display to score 104 in his 173-ball stay at the crease against a quality line-up. He added 132 runs for the fifth wicket with Mohammad Rizwan, and although they lost the game by an innings, this knock received big praise.
119 vs Sri Lanka, Galle 2022
This is one of the best Babar Azam Test centuries, playing a crucial role in Pakistan's victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test of their 2022 tour. It was a turning Galle pitch, where batters from both sides struggled to score in their first innings. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 222 before Pakistan were reduced to 7 for 85.
Conceding a big lead here could have been disastrous for Pakistan if it weren't for Babar Azam. He scored a terrific 119 in that situation when none of the other Pakistan batters touched the 20-run mark. He helped Pakistan keep the deficit to just four runs. In the fourth innings, they chased down 342 runs by four wickets, where Abdullah Shafique scored an unbeaten 160 while Babar added 55 runs.
196 vs Australia, Karachi 2022
One of those Babar Azam centuries that had a significant impact on the match. Pakistan produced an incredible effort to save the second Test against Australia in Karachi last year. Australia batted first and posted a huge total of 556 and in response, Pakistan suffered a collapse to get skittled out for just 148.
The home side was given a target of 506 in the fourth innings and had lost two wickets for 21 runs. When a defeat looked pretty much on the cards, Babar Azam stepped up and added 228 runs for the third wicket with Shafique (96). Rizwan joined Babar and the pair added 115 runs for the fifth wicket. Babar batted a humongous 425 balls in his marathon innings and missed his double-century by just four runs.
127* vs New Zealand, Dubai 2018
This was Babar Azam's maiden Test century and it came at a critical point. Pakistan were trailing the 2018 series by 1-0 and needed to win or draw this game to keep the series alive. Batting first, the hosts were in a bit of a bother with four wickets down for 174.
Babar Azam joined hands with Haris Sohail (147) and put on a 186-run stand for the fifth wicket. Babar went on to score an unbeaten 127 off 263 deliveries to help his post 418/5 before declaring. Pakistan bowlers did their job well, dismissing the Kiwis for 90 and 312 to clinch the victory by an innings.
136 vs England, Rawalpindi 2022
England's tour of Pakistan last year was a brutal experience for the hosts as they were obliterated by the Bazball. In the first innings of the first Test, England showcased the best of their attacking style and hammered 657 in just 101 overs.
Pakistan needed to give a strong response to stay in the game and they did it with three centuries from the top four. One of them was Babar. This was perhaps the most fluent of Babar Azam Test centuries as he struck 136 in 168 balls. He smashed 19 fours and a six, scoring at a strike rate of 80.95.
Top Babar Azam centuries in ODIs
158 vs England, Birmingham 2021
Babar Azam registered his highest score in the fifty-over format on their tour of England in 2021. Their tour wasn't great as they were swept 3-0 by a second-string English side. They lost the Edgbaston ODI by three wickets after posting 331 on the board.
The Pakistan skipper was magnificent with the bat as he added 92 runs for the second wicket with Imam-ul-Haq and 179 runs for the third wicket with Mohammad Rizwan. Babar went on to score 158 in 139 deliveries, smashing 14 fours and four sixes.
125* vs West Indies, Providence 2017
Babar Azam delivered a match-winning performance in the second game of their three-match series in 2017. Pakistan had lost the first game and needed to win this fixture at Providence to keep the series alive.
Batting first, Pakistan lost both the openers in the first nine overs. They kept losing wickets at regular intervals but Babar Azam was rock solid at one end. He added 92 runs in the final 11.2 overs with Imad Wasim (43*) to power the side to 282/5. Babar remained unbeaten on 125 off 132 with seven fours and three sixes. Bowlers backed up Babar's work as the visitors won the match by 74 runs.
101* vs New Zealand, Birmingham 2019
Babar Azam had a fantastic campaign in the 2019 World Cup in England, scoring three fifties and a hundred in eight innings. His hundred came against the eventual runners-up New Zealand at Edgbaston. There was help for seamers throughout this tournament and run-scoring wasn't as easy.
Chasing the target of 238, Pakistan lost both openers cheaply. Babar Azam batted brilliantly against a potent bowling attack of Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson. He added a match-defining partnership of 126 runs with Haris Sohail. Babar steered his side over the line with an unbeaten 101 off 127 deliveries.
103 vs South Africa, Centurion 2021
Centurion witnessed one of the best Babar Azam centuries in ODI cricket when Pakistan toured South Africa in March-April 2021. It was the first ODI of the series, with the hosts posting 273 on Rassie van der Dussen's century.
The visitors lost Fakhar Zaman early but then Babar and Imam-ul-Haq put on a big 179-run partnership for the second wicket. Babar was fantastic on the day, hitting 103 off 104 with 17 fours. Pakistan stumbled a bit after his dismissal with Anrich Nortje breathing fire but eventually got over the line.
117 vs West Indies, Abu Dhabi 2016
Pakistan's series against West Indies in 2016 was a record-breaking one for Babar Azam as he smashed three centuries in three games. The third game at Abu Dhabi saw him put on a brilliant display of batsmanship.
Batting first, Babar Azam scored 117 off just 106 balls with eight fours and a six. He added 177 runs for the second wicket with Azhar Ali. The target of 309 proved too much for the visitors as Pakistan clinched the match by 136 runs.
Top Babar Azam centuries in T20Is
122 vs South Africa, Centurion 2021
The first of three Babar Azam T20I centuries was a spectacular exhibition of batting. The Pakistan batter had received backlash for his knock in the second match of the series, where he scored a run-a-ball fifty as they lost the match. Two days later, he came out of the blocks with great intent.
Chasing 205, Babar looked in great touch and took on the Protea bowlers. He completed his fifty off 27 balls before changing the gears. He finished with a stunning 122 in 59 balls, smashing 15 fours and four sixes to help his side get over the line with two overs to spare.
110* vs England, Karachi 2022
England and Pakistan played a seven-match series in the build up to the 2022 T20I World Cup and it was highly entertaining. England had taken a 1-0 lead heading into this match, where Babar Azam delivered his trademark innings.
Chasing a big target of 200, Pakistan openers provided a solid start but were lagging behind the required rate with 100 runs on the board in 12 overs. Babar completed his fifty at a slow pace in 39 balls but then pressed the accelerator. He ended up with an unbeaten 110 off 66 as the hosts went on to win the game by 10 wickets.
101* vs New Zealand, Lahore 2023
Babar Azam's third T20I century came earlier this year in April against New Zealand. The second T20I of the five-match series at Lahore saw an outstanding knock from the Pakistan skipper.
Batting first, Babar and Mohammad Rizwan put on 99 runs in 10.4 overs but Pakistan lost four wickets for just six runs and had found themselves in trouble. Babar, who completed his fifty off 36 deliveries, was still there. He provided a great finish, scoring his next 51 runs in just 22 balls to power the side to 192. Babar finished on 101 not-out in 58 balls with 11 fours and three sixes as Pakistan won the match by 38 runs.
Babar Azam career summary
Babar Azam has played 251 matches for Pakistan in international cricket across three formats. There have been a total of 30 Babar Azam centuries in international cricket so far. He has played 47 Tests so far, scoring 3696 runs at an average of 48.63 with eight centuries.
He is one of the most consistent batters in the fifty-over format and there have been 18 Babar Azam ODI centuries till date. He has amassed 5089 runs from 100 ODIs, averaging an excellent 59.17 at a strike rate of 89.24.
In T20 internationals, Babar Azam has played 104 games, scoring 3485 runs at an average of 41.48 and strike rate of 128.40. He has registered three centuries in the shorter format.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike rate | 100s | 50s | Best Score |
| Test | 47 | 3696 | 48.63 | 55.02 | 9 | 26 | 196 |
| ODI | 100 | 5089 | 59.17 | 89.24 | 18 | 26 | 158 |
| T20I | 104 | 3485 | 41.48 | 128.40 | 3 | 30 | 122 |
Now that we have a brief career summary of Babar Azam, let's talk about his journey, the list of his centuries and some of his best performances across three formats.
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Babar Azam journey in cricket
Babar Azam was born on 15 October 1994 in Lahore. His cousins Kamran and Umar Akmal were playing for Pakistan and it inspired Babar to take up cricket as a profession. It didn't take long for him to make an impression at the domestic level and soon become a part of the Under19 set-up.
He was called up to the national side in May 2015 for a home series against Zimbabwe and made his international debut in an ODI. He scored a superb fifty on his debut, earning himself a place in Test and ODI squads for the tour of Sri Lanka. Later in the England series at home, Babar scored two fifties in four ODIs.
Babar had to wait for the Test debut, which finally came in October 2016 against West Indies at Dubai. He scored 69 runs on the debut and had a couple of good knocks in the next few Tests but it wasn't until 2018 that he started delivering consistently in the format.
The first of the many Babar Azam centuries came against New Zealand at Dubai, where he scored an unbeaten 127 batting at number six. 2019-20 was a breakout season for Babar in Test cricket, where he scored runs for fun. In November 2019, he scored a sublime century against Australia at the Gabba and missed his third Test century by three runs in the next game at Adelaide.
Following the Australia tour, the Pakistan batter produced a prolific series against Sri Lanka at home. Two Babar Azam Test centuries came in that series, at Rawalpindi and Karachi. In March 2022, he missed a double century versus Australia at Karachi by four runs. He scored two more Test centuries in the same year.
Rise in limited-overs cricket
Babar Azam took to ODI cricket like a duck to water. He scored six fifties in the first 15 ODI innings and secured his spot in the side. The home series against West Indies in late 2016 shot up Babar's reputation in limited-overs cricket.
The then 22-yr old batter struck three centuries in three matches, becoming only the eighth player to score three consecutive centuries. He was the second player after Quinton de Kock to score hundreds in each of the three-match series. Babar recorded the highest tally in a three-match series, scoring 360 runs.
From 3 November 2020 to 8 June 2022, Pakistan played only 11 ODIs due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There were six Babar Azam centuries in those 11 games.
As of this date, Babar Azam has the best average in ODI cricket amongst the players who have scored at least 2000 runs. 14 out of 18 Babar Azam ODI centuries have come in winning causes.
Talking about T20I cricket, Babar Azam made his debut on 7 September 2016 against England. He struck 55 not-out in 37 balls in his second game versus West Indies. He has been one of the most consistent batters in the format, scoring 30 fifties and three centuries.
However, there's one thing that continues to harm his reputation and that is his strike rate. Babar Azam has received continuous criticism for his slow scoring rate and it might not stop anytime soon unless there's some drastic change in his approach to T20 batting.
Babar Azam is the current Pakistan captain in all three formats and will be hoping to lead his side to glory in the upcoming tournaments Asia Cup and World Cup.
