Salman Ali Agha Breaks Mohammad Yousuf's Pakistan Record With Century vs Sri Lanka

Salman Ali Agha made a strong return to action for Pakistan, scoring a century against Sri Lanka in the opening match of the ODI tri-series. His knock helped Pakistan post 305 runs and eventually win the match by 37 runs at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Batting at No. 5, Agha scored 107 off 90 balls, hitting 10 fours and a six. His innings proved crucial in helping Pakistan put up a competitive total after losing wickets during the middle overs.

The century was Agha’s fourth in 54 ODIs for Pakistan. More importantly, it took him past former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf for the most ODI hundreds by a Pakistani batter at No. 5 or lower.

ALSO READ: Pakistan To Wear Pink Jersey During 4th ODI Against England: Here's Why

Salman Ali Agha Moves Ahead Of Mohammad Yousuf

Before Sunday’s match, Agha and Yousuf were level with three centuries each while batting at No. 5 or lower in ODIs for Pakistan. Agha’s latest hundred gave him the outright record with four centuries.

Yousuf played 114 ODIs in this batting position between 1998 and 2009, scoring 3,092 runs at an average of 34.74. Agha, meanwhile, has scored 1,649 runs at an average of 44.56 and a strike rate of 97.86, according to the supplied statistics.

Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi are next on the list, with two centuries each while batting at No. 5 or lower for Pakistan.

Most ODI Centuries For Pakistan At No. 5 Or Lower

Where Agha Stands In The World Record List

Agha’s achievement also puts him among an elite group of international batters who have regularly scored centuries from the lower middle order.

England’s Jos Buttler and South Africa’s David Miller jointly hold the record for the most ODI centuries by a batter at No. 5 or lower, with eight each. India’s MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh follow with seven centuries apiece.

AB de Villiers, Eoin Morgan, Sikandar Raza and Andrew Symonds have scored six centuries each in this batting position.

Agha currently has four hundreds, placing him alongside several established international names, including Shakib Al Hasan, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina and Glenn Maxwell, who have also scored four ODI centuries at No. 5 or lower, according to the supplied data.

Salman Ali Agha Sets Another Pakistan Record At No. 5

Agha has also become the first Pakistani batter to score three ODI centuries specifically while batting at No. 5.

Before his latest innings, Yousuf was the only other Pakistani batter to have scored multiple ODI hundreds at that position. Yousuf made two centuries in 84 innings at No. 5, while Agha has three in 33 matches in the same position.

India’s Yuvraj Singh holds the world record for the most ODI centuries specifically at No. 5, with seven hundreds in 99 matches at that position.

Agha’s Partnership Helps Pakistan Reach 305

Agha’s century was built around important partnerships in the middle and lower order. He added 97 runs for the fifth wicket with Hasan Nawaz, who scored 37 off 49 balls.

Agha then continued to push the scoring rate alongside Arafat Minhas. The pair added 64 runs for the sixth wicket, with Minhas contributing 18 off 15 balls.

Their efforts helped Pakistan reach 305 in 49.5 overs. Pakistan’s bowlers then completed the job, dismissing Sri Lanka for 268 to secure a 37-run victory in the opening match of the tri-series.