Babar Azam equals unwanted T20I record after another duck against Sri Lanka
By Nawaz Gohar ; Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has equalled an unwanted record in T20 International cricket after being dismissed for a duck once again, raising concerns among fans about his recent form.
During the Tri-Nation T20 series match against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, Babar was out without scoring for the second time in the series. His earlier dismissal for zero had come against Zimbabwe in the opening match of the tournament, making it a disappointing campaign for Pakistan’s premier batsman.
This latest dismissal marked the 10th duck of Babar Azam’s T20 International career, placing him jointly at the top of the list for most ducks in the format among Pakistani batters. He now shares the unwanted record with Saim Ayub and Umar Akmal. According to available statistics, Umar Akmal was dismissed for zero 10 times in 84 matches, Saim Ayub has recorded 10 ducks in 55 matches, while Babar reached the same figure in 135 T20Is.
Despite his remarkable consistency in international cricket over the years, this recent sequence has sparked debate about Babar’s current form, particularly as Pakistan approaches a series-deciding match.
In Thursday’s contest, Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by six runs in a closely fought encounter, securing their place in the final of the Tri-Nation T20 series. The result also meant that Zimbabwe were eliminated from the tournament.
The final of the tri-series will now take place on Saturday between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, where attention will once again be on Babar Azam and Pakistan’s batting unit. Fans and analysts alike will be expecting a stronger performance from the top order as Pakistan looks to bounce back and secure the title.
