Shoaib Malik becomes the first Asian to have the highest runs in T20. His wife Sania Mirza celebrates him on Social Media.
Sania tweeted to congratulate Shoaib Malik after the middle-order batsman became the first Asian cricketer to get to 10,000 T20 runs. He is the third in the World to score the most runs in this short format game. Malik is bested by only two before him, Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard.
Malik’s career tally in T20 cricket currently stands at 10,027 runs. West Indies’ Chris Gayle was the first to cross 10,000 runs in the shortest format of the game after which his fellow Caribbean player Kieron Pollard crossed the milestone. Gayle’s career tally currently stands at 13,296 runs while Pollard has 10,370 runs to his name.
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Malik achieved the milestone in a National T20 cup – Pakistan’s domestic T20 tournament – match on Saturday. Representing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Malik slammed 74 off 44 balls against Balochistan.
Malik hit eight fours and two sixes in 44 balls on his way to the score on Saturday in the match against Balochistan in Rawalpindi. It was not enough, however, as his team ended up losing the match by six wickets.
Reacting to his achievement, Malik said: “I would like to congratulate the people of Pakistan as I am the first Asian cricketer to have reached this milestone of making 10,000 runs in #T20 cricket & I hope I will carry on in the way I have been playing. I’d like to dedicate this milestone to my parents they’ve always prayed for me. I wish my father was alive today as he would’ve been very happy, but that’s how life is. Whenever I go to the ground I always call my mother before a match & get her prayers.
“Also a big thank you at the same time to all my fellow players, ground staff members, fans and supporters.”
Malik, who is third in the list of highest run-scorers in T20s, has 10,027 runs in 395 matches at an average of 37.41 and a strike rate of 125.71.
The former Pakistan captain had announced his retirement from ODI cricket after the 2019 ODI World Cup but he continues to ply his trade for Pakistan in T20Is.