NEW DELHI: Though
Ireland
registered their first victory over Pakistan in 17 years by winning the opening Twenty20 International by five wickets in Dublin on Friday, there was a small consolation for the visitors' captain
Babar Azam
.
Babar top-scored for Pakistan with a 43-ball 57 to take his team to 182/6, but Ireland reached the target with a ball to spare.
With this knock, Babar equalled India batting stalwart
Virat Kohli
's record of most fifty-plus scores in men's Twenty20 Internationals.
Both
Virat
and Babar now have 38 fifty-plus scores in
T20Is
. While Virat has a hundred and 37 fifties to his name, Babar has 3 centuries and 35 half-centuries to his credit.
Both Virat and Babar have a top score of 122 in T20Is though the former Indian captain's effort was an unbeaten one.
While Virat has scored 4037 T20I runs, leading the most runs chart, Babar is yet to breach the 4000-run mark with 3880 runs under his belt.
Rohit Sharma
(34), Mohammad Rizwan (27) and
David Warner
(27) are the next three in the list of most fifty-plus scores in T20Is.
Comparisons between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam have been constant for quite a while now.
Kohli is known for his consistency across all formats of the game. He has a remarkable record in both Test and limited-overs cricket, with numerous centuries to his name.
Kohli
's ability to chase down targets and his adaptability to different situations make him a formidable batsman.
On the other hand, Babar has gained recognition for his elegant stroke play and solid technique. He has been particularly impressive in limited-overs cricket, where he has consistently performed well for Pakistan. Azam's ability to play both pace and spin bowling with ease has made him a key player for his team.
In terms of statistics, Kohli has a higher average and more centuries across formats compared to
Azam
. However, both players have their own unique style and have contributed significantly to their respective teams' successes.
While Kohli has proven himself across all formats over a longer period, Azam has shown immense potential and continues to impress with his batting skills.
The highly-anticipated T20 World Cup clash between India and Pakistan is scheduled for June 9.
Victory gave Ireland a 1-0 lead in a three-match series against a Pakistan side they will also face in the group stage of next month's T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies.
It was just Ireland's second win against Pakistan following their shock triumph at the 2007 50-over World Cup.
English (US) ·