On January 1, 2026, Pakistan’s first dough Babar Azam reached an important milestone in his career during Big Bash League (BBL) 15drawing at the level of the old England captain If butler in the T20 record books. Representing the Sydney Sixers against the Melbourne Renegades at Docklands Stadium, Babar anchored a successful chase with an unbeaten 58 off 46 deliveries.
Babar Azam equals Jos Buttler’s elite T20 record
Babar’s latest performance officially placed him alongside Buttler as the third highest fifty-run scorer in T20 history. Although the two players now share a career total of 97 half-centuries, the efficiency with which Babar has achieved this milestone is remarkable, having required significantly fewer matches than his English counterpart to achieve the same result.
The former Pakistan captain reached the milestone in his 333rd T20 match, which also includes 11 centuries, while Buttler reached the mark in 476 matches with eight centuries to his name. The record for most half-centuries in this format belongs to the former Australian great. David Warnerwho has 113 fifties in 428 matches.
Top T20 half-centuries (as of January 2026):
- David Warner: 113
- Virat Kohli: 105
- Babar Azam / Jos Butler: 97
- Alex Hales: 92
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Babar’s BBL 15 journey: getting back into shape after a difficult start
Babar’s passage with the Sydney Sixers in BBL 15 has been a journey of adaptation and resilience, characterized by a slow start followed by high-impact winning performances. Early in his first season in Australia, the 31-year-old initially struggled with the extra bounce and movement, recording scores of 2, 9 and 2 in his first few outings.
However, he has since found his stride, recording two crucial half-centuries in his last three matches, a 58 in the Sydney derby against the Thunder and his most recent unbeaten 58 against the Renegades. Currently, he has accumulated 129 points with an average of 32.25, providing the stability the Sixers need at the top of the standings as they climb to fifth place in the points table. His ability to anchor innings allowed teammates like Joel Davies play freely, ending the Sixers’ losing streak and providing a perfect start to the 2026 calendar year.
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