T20s have largely evolved the game of cricket in the 21st century. Ever since limited-overs cricket took over, the game has seen many long hitters of the ball, but with the shortest format of 20 overs coming into play, the batters have turned fearless and have been dauntless on the track.
Starring for Pakistan, Babar Azam is the greatest among T20I players, as he is the second-highest run-getter in the format, only behind Indian retired great Rohit Sharma. On the other hand, current Indian T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has been a superstar for India in the format.
SKY is largely known for his fearless and innovative string in the shortest format, having an immensely high career strike rate. He has turned the fortunes of India when it comes to the shortest format, often drawing comparisons with the great AB de Villiers due to his unconventional technique.
Babar, on the other hand, despite being very orthodox, has also been exceptional in the format, though his strike rate despite big innings has been under scrutiny.
Babar Azam has the upper hand over SKY in T20I numbers
Suryakumar Yadav has featured for India in T20s since 2021, when he debuted in a match against England. SKY since then has been an invaluable asset for the Men in Blue in the shortest format, while he was also part of India’s Asia Cup-winning squad in 2023, followed by the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, which India won for the second time since 2007.
He was also India’s second-highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup, often stepping up on vital occasions for his side. In 83 career matches, SKY has batted in 79 innings and has amassed 2598 runs in the 20-over format. Averaging nearly 39, SKY possesses a remarkable strike rate of 167 with 4 T20 hundreds to his name.
The Pakistan great, on the other hand, had scored 2903 runs when he played 78 innings over his 83 T20I appearances. Azam undoubtedly seems a better player with 305 runs ahead of the Indian veteran, but where the two differ is the strike rate, as his career strike rate is below 130, which seems a bit disappointing for the quicker format. Babar also has 2 hundreds scored in the format with a career average of 43.33.
