Edgbaston: Babar Azam had more than just runs to celebrate on Friday.

The Pakistan batter etched his name into the World Test Championship record books during the third Test against England at Edgbaston, achieving a milestone that only three captains had managed before him.

Babar became only the fourth captain in WTC history to cross 2,000 runs, while also becoming just the second Asian captain to reach the landmark.

The Pakistan star reached the mark during his second-innings knock of 76 off 103 balls, which included 11 fours and a six.

In doing so, Babar joined an exclusive list featuring Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Dimuth Karunaratne.

Root is the runaway leader among WTC captains, having become the first to cross the 3,000-run mark.

England’s Stokes and Sri Lanka’s Karunaratne had previously breached 2,000 runs as captains.

Babar’s achievement comes during a difficult Test campaign for Pakistan.

The visitors entered the third Test after losing the opening two matches of the series, leaving them with little room for error.

Yet, amid Pakistan’s struggles, he produced a timely individual performance and added another statistical landmark to his Test career.

The milestone also underlines Babar’s impact in the WTC era. During the 2021–23 cycle alone, he accumulated 1,527 runs, establishing himself among the competition’s leading run-scorers.

Now, with his latest landmark at Edgbaston, Babar finds himself in a four-man WTC club, alongside three captains who have already left a considerable mark on the championship’s history.