Babar Azam roared back to form with a brilliant fifty in the third T20I against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. was going through a lean run and was even dropped from the T20 team following the World Cup in 2024, but Pakistan’s poor run in the Asia Cup meant that the PCB had to fall back on Babar.
His return wasn’t a great one as he was dismissed for 0 in the first game, but he showed his class in the final, where he scored 68 in 57 balls to help Pakistan chase 140 to win the series.
Babar Azam Breaks Virat Kohli’s Record
During the second T20I, Babar Azam became the leading run scorer in the format after leapfrogging Rohit Sharma. In the final, he broke a long-standing record of Virat Kohli. The fifty in the third T20I took Babar Azam’s tally of 50-plus scores to 40. The record was previously held by Kohli, who had scored 39 fifty-plus scores. Babar has scored 37 fifties and three centuries in his career, while Kohli scored 39 fifties and a hundred.
| Players | Country | 50+ Scores |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan | 40 ( 3 Centuries, 37 Fifties) |
| Virat Kohli | India | 39 ( 1 Century, 39 Fifties) |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 37 ( 5 Centuries, 32 Fifties) |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 31 ( 1 Century, 30 Fifties) |
| David Warner | Australia | 29 ( 1 Century, 28 Fifties) |
Babar Azam Eyes World Cup Spot
The fifty by Babar has improved his chances of making the T20 World Cup squad. Pakistan in recent times suffered multiple collapses and felt the need for an anchor. It was a toss-up between him and Rizwan, and the PCB gave the first opportunity to Babar. The former captain needs to hold onto the form and play well in the following games to have a real chance of making the T20 World Cup squad.