Babar Azam Smashes Fastest PSL Century in 52 Balls; Ends 2-Year & 67 innings Wait

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 season is nearing its end, but Match 29 showed the magic that all cricket fans were waiting for for two years. On the evening of 19th April 2026, there was not only a shower of fours and sixes at Karachi National Bank Stadium, but "King" Babar Azam silenced his critics and created a new history.

After two years of hardship and 67 innings of patience, Babar Azam scored the fastest hundred of his career in the T20 format. With this, Peshawar Zalmi maintained its tradition of being "unbeaten" by putting the 2nd highest score on the board in PSL 11.

The match started with Quetta Gladiators winning the toss. The captain decided to field, perhaps thinking he would be able to restrict Zalmi to a low total. But Peshawar Zalmi's batsmen had other plans.

Young man Muhammad Haris showed his aggressive side from the very first over. He gave away 23 runs to Jahandad Khan as soon as he came in, which included two long sixes. Haris' batting put the Quetta bowlers on the back foot. Agarchha was dismissed by Alzarri Joseph after scoring 16 runs, but he gave Zalmi the much-needed "Powerplay Momentum".

Kushal Mendis came to the field after Haris was dismissed. Then whatever happened became a part of the sequence. Babar Azam and Kushal Mendis together made a mockery of Quetta bowlers. Together, they made a partnership of 135 runs, which broke many records of cricket.

Due to this partnership, Babar Azam broke the record of West Indies legend Chris Gayle and equaled the record of "The Great" Virat Kohli. Babar Azam has now been part of 100+ run partnerships 47 times in T20 cricket. This record shows how much of a match-winner Babar is, not just for himself but for the team.

Kushal Mendis played a blistering innings of 83 runs. After his dismissal, fans thought the run-rate might drop, but Babar Azam changed gears. He targeted Pakistan's best spinner, Usman Tariq, and put the Quetta bowlers under pressure by hitting two brilliant sixes in the same over.

When Babar Azam was on 98 runs, the entire stadium held its breath. This was not just a century, but it was the answer to two years of hard work and taunting. Babar played a shot on the last ball of Jahandad Khan and ran for the second run. The wicket-keeper hit the stumps, and Babar thought that he was run out. He was brought down to the pitch in a hurry. His face was sad because he did not want to accept defeat after coming so close to this milestone. But Aaron Hardie, present at the non-striker's end, told him that he was safe! He was 'Not Out', and Babar Azam's happiness was worth seeing. He bowed down and celebrated his hundredth.

Centuries in PSL career

Babar Azam reached his century off just 52 balls, the fastest century of his 2020 career. This is his third century in plus.

1. In 2023 against Quetta Gladiators.
2. In 2024, against Islamabad United.
3. In 2026, against Quetta Gladiators again.

In this century, Babar Azam became the second player in the world to score the most T20 centuries (12). This list is topped by Chris Gayle (22 centuries). Considering Babar's age and form, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he could break Gayle's record in the coming years.

Babar's century helped Peshawar Zalmi post a total of 255 runs. This is the highest total of the PSL this season. Zalmi broke their own previous record of 246 runs and created a new path.

In reply, Quetta Gladiators could not handle this immense pressure and the entire team was bundled out for just 137 runs. Zalmi won the match by a narrow margin and maintained their record of remaining "unbeaten" in PSL 11.

Match 29 of PSL 11 will always be remembered for Babar Azam's brilliant comeback. He proved that "Form is temporary, but class is permanent." His century off 52 balls not only gave Zalmi the victory but also silenced all the critics who raised questions about his strike rate and T20 batting.

Zalmi fans are now hoping that Babar will carry forward this form and make Peshawar Zalmi the PSL champion once again.

Babar Azam's T20 Centuries List (Updated) 2026

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