Karachi’s young batting sensation Saad Baig has entered elite company, becoming only the second batter from Karachi to cross 1,000 runs in a single Quaid-e-Azam Trophy season, a feat last achieved by Asad Shafiq during his prolific 2009-10 campaign.

Saad reached the milestone on Wednesday during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final against Sialkot at Gaddafi Stadium, continuing the form that has defined Karachi Blues’ dominant run throughout the tournament.

Saad’s tally now stands at: 1,000 runs, 19 innings, Average: 55.56, 4 centuries, 3 half-centuries

He will finish the 2025-26 tournament as the leading run-scorer, a testament to his consistency across conditions and his ability to play both long and influential innings.

Saad’s achievement puts him alongside one of Karachi’s most accomplished modern batters.

In the 2009-10 season, Asad Shafiq produced one of the finest campaigns in domestic history, scoring 1,104 runs in 11 matches at an average of 64.94 while representing Karachi Blues.

For 15 years, Asad remained the only Karachi player to breach the four-figure mark in a single edition. Saad’s entry into this exclusive club underscores the city’s continued ability to produce long-format batting talent.

The race behind him

While Saad stands alone at the top, the contest for the remaining places in the run charts continues:

Shamyl Hussain (Islamabad): 899 runs

Shahzaib Khan (Abbottabad): 838 runs

Azan Awais (Sialkot): 792 runs — still with a chance to climb to second place if he scores big in the final

Karachi Blues’ road to the final has revolved heavily around Saad’s contributions, whether anchoring tricky innings or converting starts into hundreds. His temperament, shot selection and big-match poise have turned him into one of the breakout performers of Pakistan’s domestic season.

With the final still underway, SaadBaig’s name has already been etched into the tournament’s history — and Karachi’s — as he joins AsadShafiq in one of domestic cricket’s most exclusive clubs.