Babar’s 52‑ball century

Babar Azam’s unbeaten 100 from 52 balls drove Peshawar Zalmi to 255 for 3 and a 118-run win over Quetta Gladiators on April 19 in Karachi. (espncricinfo.com) Kusal Mendis made 83, and the pair’s stand set up Quetta’s collapse to 137 all out in 18.1 overs. Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris and Tom Kohler-Cadmore were all absent, leaving Zalmi to reshuffle before posting their highest total of the season. (espncricinfo.com) Babar reached his hundred with six fours and four sixes, finishing at a strike rate above 192. BBC reported it was his first T20 century in 67 innings. (news18.com) (bbc.com) The result pushed Zalmi to 10 points from nine matches and left them “virtually guaranteed” of a top-two finish, according to ESPNcricinfo. In the Pakistan Super League format, a top-two place gives teams two chances to reach the final through the playoffs. (espncricinfo.com) The margin was the fourth-largest by runs in Pakistan Super League history, adding weight to a match that was already notable for the scoring rate. Zalmi’s 255 for 3 was followed by Quetta losing all 10 wickets for 137 despite chasing on the same Karachi surface. (livemint.com) (espncricinfo.com) The innings also landed in a broader debate around Babar’s T20 pace. ESPN said he “rediscovered gears,” while Yahoo’s coverage tied the century to a run of scrutiny over strike rate and tempo in the format. (espn.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Earlier in the tournament, Babar became the fastest men’s player to 12,000 T20 runs, getting there in 338 innings against Karachi Kings on April 9. Reports said that mark beat Chris Gayle’s 345 innings and Virat Kohli’s 360. (livemint.com) (pakistantoday.com.pk) For Zalmi, the immediate effect was two points and a playoff boost. For Babar, it was a 52-ball answer delivered in the one currency T20 criticism tracks most closely: runs scored fast enough to change a match in a night. (espncricinfo.com) (espn.com)