Babar Azam’s Stunning Century: Fastest to 19 ODI Centuries in Asia Cup Opener

Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam, 28, achieved a new milestone as he became the fastest player to reach 19 One Day International (ODI) centuries. Azam achieved this feat during the opening match of the Asia Cup 2023 against Nepal on Wednesday in Multan.

Azam’s exceptional performance allowed him to secure this record in just 102 innings, surpassing the previous record held by former South African batter Hashim Amla, who achieved it in 104 innings.

Despite Pakistan facing an early collapse at 25-2 with the loss of Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam showcased his batting prowess by constructing a crucial 86-run partnership with Mohammad Rizwan. However, Rizwan was dismissed in an unusual run-out, and Salman Agha followed suit shortly after, falling victim to a reverse-sweep shot by Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane.

Undeterred, Azam then formed a resilient partnership with Iftikhar Ahmed. As of the latest update, Babar Azam remained unbeaten at 131, while Iftikhar Ahmed also displayed a strong performance at 68*.*

In the earlier part of the day, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat against Nepal in the inaugural match of the Asia Cup 2023. Notably, this marks Nepal’s debut in the Asia Cup, and it is also the first encounter between Pakistan and Nepal at the highest level of international cricket.

Pakistan’s entry into the Asia Cup followed a dominant display in the ODI rankings, where they secured the top position after a convincing 3-0 victory over Afghanistan in Sri Lanka. This achievement marked Pakistan’s second time topping the ODI rankings since April.

Nepal’s participation in the Asia Cup became possible after their triumph in the ACC Premier Cup earlier this year. Nepal secured victory by defeating the UAE in the final match by seven wickets, earning them the opportunity to compete on this esteemed stage.