Shoaib Malik becomes the first Asian to achieve the milestone of 10,000 runs in T20 cricket

Pakistan veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik became the first Pakistan and Asian and third overall batsman to go past the incredible tally of 10,000 in the T20 format.

Hailed as one of the most consistent performers in the shortest format of the game, Malik achieved this feat while playing for franchise Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the ongoing National T20 Cup in Pakistan on Saturday (October 10). He slammed a 44-ball 74 for his side against Balochistan to add this huge milestone in his illustrious cricket career.

Despite scoring a quickfire knock of 74 runs which comprised 8 fours and 2 sixes, the flamboyant all-rounder couldn’t take his team to victory as Khyber lost to Balochistan by six wickets. The National T20 Cup is Shoaib’s first cricket assignment since a T20I series held in England last month. This was his first half-century of the competition so far, in five innings.

The 38-year-old had made his T20 debut in 2005 for Sialkot Stallions. In his glorious career of 16 years, Shoaib has aggregated 10,027 runs in 395 T20 matches at an impressive average of 37.41 and a strike rate of 125.71. He has 62 half-centuries in the shortest format but is yet to register his maiden T20 century. Malik also has 148 wickets at 27.06, at an economy rate of 7.03.

I would like to dedicate this milestone to my parents: Shoaib Malik

With 10,027 runs in his kitty, the Sialkot-born is just behind West Indies power-hitter Chris Gayle, who is topping the charts of all-time highest top-scorers in T20 cricket with 13,296 runs in 404 matches and explosive Kieron Pollard, who is the second in the list with 10,370 runs from 518 matches.

Interestingly, out of 10,027 T20 runs, Malik has scored only 2335 runs in T20Is for Pakistan. He has garnered all the remaining runs while playing for different franchises in the domestic circuit throughout his cricket career.

As Malik reached the elusive feat of scoring over 10,000 runs in T20s, he took to Twitter to share his happiness with his fans and well-wishers. The all-rounder dedicated this milestone to his parents who were always there with him in every hardship and struggle.

He tweeted, “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 thankyou at the same time to all my fellow players, ground staff members, fans and supporters.”