Ahmed Shehzad becomes fastest Pakistani to score 5000 runs in T20 cricket

Earlier this year, Shoaib Malik became Pakistan’s highest run-getter in T20Is. And just a couple of months later, flamboyant Pakistani opener Ahmed Shehzad achieved the feat on Thursday. It was a reason for double jubilation as the batsman reached the milestone of 5,000 runs in T20 cricket on the occasion of his birthday. The right-hander reached this milestone with an innings of 27 against Rawalpindi for Lahore, on his 26th birthday to become the second Pakistani to achieve the feat.

Shehzad, reached the milestone in the 181st innings of his career, surpassing Malik’s record of 182 innings to become the quickest from Pakistan to complete the 5,000 T20 runs mark. The dynamic opener, who was struggling with form earlier, has so far looked in decent form during the ongoing National T20 tournament. Shehzad is a combative character and loves to express himself with the bat. He scored 215 runs in six innings and also registered two half-centuries.

Speaking to Geo.tv, the 26-year-old batsman said that to be the quickest Pakistan player to reach 5,000 runs gives him immense pleasure and hunger to score more. He termed the achievement special and close to his heart.

“Being the quickest Pakistani to reach 5,000 T20 runs is very close to my heart and it can only pump me to go further and work harder on my batting and make further records,” he conceded.

Malik is currently the nation’s top T20 run scorer

Before Shehzad, Shoaib Malik was the first Pakistani to reach the milestone of 5,000 T20 runs. The former national team skipper is currently the nation’s top T20 run scorer with 7,295 runs to his credit in the shortest format of professional cricket.

The Men in Green currently are enjoying a short sabbatical until the end of the year. With the dawn of the new year, Pakistan will face New Zealand for a limited over series that’ll include 5 ODIs and 3T20Is.