Even if he’s not in the top four batters globally, Virat Kohli and many others say Babar Azam is exceptional. He’s been outstanding in all formats and is Pakistan’s top batter over the last 6-7 years. At 29, he’s broken many records and leads in T20 runs for his country. With 3485 runs at an average of 41.5 and a strike rate of 128.4 in T20s, Babar is truly impressive.
Let’s check out his top 5 T20 innings.
1. 122 vs South Africa (2021)
In a big cricket match where both teams had an equal chance of winning, Pakistan chose to field first. This meant they needed to chase a target of 203 runs. The game began with Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam batting for Pakistan.
At 27 years old, Babar played exceptionally well. Babar scored his first-ever century in T20 International cricket off just 49 balls. He ended up with 122 runs from 50 balls, which is very fast! He hit the ball for boundaries 15 times and also hit four sixes. Babar and Rizwan formed a strong partnership and scored 197 runs together, setting a new record for Pakistan’s team. It’s also the fourth-highest partnership in T20 International cricket history.
ALSO READ: Here are the top 5 captains with the most sixes in T20 International cricket.
2. 110* vs England (2022)
In the second cricket game between Pakistan and England, held on a good pitch for hitting in Karachi, England batted first and scored 199 runs in their 20 overs.
Pakistan started their chase impressively. Babar and Rizwan, two Pakistani players, led the team’s effort to reach the target. Rizwan scored 88 not out, hitting 4 fours and 6 sixes. Babar was outstanding too, scoring 110 not out, with 11 fours and 5 sixes. Babar was crucial in helping Pakistan win, and the English bowlers couldn’t stop him. This was the second time Babar had scored a century in a T20 game.
3. 101* vs New Zealand (2023)
In a recent cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand, Pakistan chose to bat first after winning the toss. Babar, a key player for Pakistan, and his partner scored 99 runs together at the start. Despite the pitch slowing down, they played well. Rizwan made 50 runs, and Iftikhar added 33 runs.
The standout performance was by Babar, who scored 101 runs, hitting 11 fours and 3 sixes. This was his third century in this format against a tough opponent. New Zealand struggled to reach the target and only scored 154 runs. Haris Rauf from Pakistan took 4 wickets with great bowling.
4. 68* vs India (2021)
In his first T20 World Cup match, Pakistan faced their major rivals, India. Pakistan decided to field first and limited India to 151 runs. Babar, the captain, opened the batting with Mohammad Rizwan. He played carefully and scored 50 runs with a six, finishing with 68 runs off 52 balls. This performance helped Pakistan win against India, creating a memorable moment for him.
5. 97* vs West Indies (2018)
Babar began playing T20I cricket in 2018. Although his teammate Fakhar Zaman got out early, Babar, who was just 24 and had not scored many fifties yet, came close to getting a hundred. He batted with Hussain Talat, hitting 13 fours and a six, and scored 97 runs off 58 balls without being out. His excellent performance helped Pakistan set a big score of 205/3, which their strong bowling then defended well.
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