Hong Kong’s Babar Hayat is 49 runs short of 500 T20I runs: Pakistan born, 24 year old, right-hand batsman, Babar Hayat is just 49 runs short of the landmark of 500 runs in T20I.
Having featured in 18 matches (18 innings), this middle-order batsman has, thus far, scored 451 runs at an average of 32.21 with 122 runs as his personal best. Scoring at a strike rate of 129.22, Hayat also has a century and 2 half-centuries to his credit.
The second qualifying match in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2016, played on 19th February, 2016, at Fataullah, saw Hayat register his maiden T20I century and his highest individual score.
Chasing a target of 181 runs for a win, set by Oman, Hayat single-handedly manoeuvred the innings with very little support from the other batsmen.
Going into bat at the score of 5 runs for the loss of 1 wicket in the very first over of the innings, he was the last one to get out on the fourth delivery of the 20th over. By this time he had managed to score 122 runs off just 60 deliveries with 9 fours and 7 sixes at a whooping 203.3 strike rate.
However, his heroics could not bail out his team from facing defeat. He virtually got no support from any one. Hong Kong ended their innings at 175 runs for the loss of 7 wickets.
Oman won the match by 5 runs.
Hayat also has featured in 7 ODIs (7 innings) and has scored 184 runs at an average of 26.28 with 55 as his highest. Scoring at a strike rate of 74.79, he has two half-centuries to his credit.
Incidentally Hong Kong take on Afghanistan in the T20WC 2016 encounter at Nagpur, today (10th March). This definitely gives an opportunity for Hayat to reach the landmark and become the first Hong Kong batsman to score 500 runs in T20I games.
Mark Chapman is close on the heels with 344 runs.
