"He's a big player and recognises the need to take things to next level": Salman Agha hails Babar Azam after his match winning 50 against Proteas

Lahore [Pakistan], November 2 (ANI): As Babar Azam surpassed Indian stalwart batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to become the player with the most 50-plus scores in the history of T20 Internationals (T20Is), Pakistan skipper Salman Agha praised him, saying he knows the need to innovate his game and believes that if Babar performs, Pakistan will definitely win matches.

Azam achieved this feat during the third and final T20I of the series against the South African side on Saturday as he slammed 68 runs off 47 balls, which was laced with nine boundaries. This match was played at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.

With this half-century, the right-hand batter now has 40 fifties in 124 innings, whereas Virat Kohli (39 fifty-plus scores in 117 innings) and Rohit Sharma (37 fifty-plus scores in 151 innings) are second and third, respectively, on the list.

Babar also surpassed Rohit Sharma in the second T20I against the Proteas to become the highest run-getter with 4,302 runs in 124 innings at an average of 39.83, in the history of the T20 Internationals (T20Is).

The 31-year-old player entered the match needing just nine runs to surpass India's Rohit Sharma, who previously held the record with 4231 runs in 151 innings. Babar Azam completed this milestone in his 123rd innings as he finished unbeaten on 11 from 18 balls.

"He (Babar) knows he needs to bring new things into his game. That sweep shot, which you do not normally associate with him, got him a number of runs today. He understands this stuff because he's such a big player, and he recognises he needs to take things to the next level. I really hope we see this kind of Babar in future, because if he performs, we'll definitely win matches. That's a good sign for us," Salman Agha said as per ESPNcricinfo.

"We're all delighted for Babar. The whole country is. In big games, big players step up. He did that today, and I really hope he continues along this vein and we see this Babar perform in the next four or five years," Agha added. (ANI)

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