[VIDEOS] Babar Azam - the T20 batsman

[MenInG]

Harare, 20 April 2021: Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam will aim to become the fastest and eleventh player overall to score 2000 T20I runs when his side takes on Zimbabwe in the three-match T20I series commencing from April 21 at the Harare Sports Club.

Babar, who last week was named number-one ranked player in the ICC ODI Rankings, needs 60 more runs to break India’s Virat Kohli record of fastest to 2000 T20I runs, which the Indian captain achieved in 56 innings. Babar who has scored 1940 runs at 48.50 in 49 innings, will be eyeing to achieve the feat in the first T20I against Zimbabwe on Wednesday.

The right-handed Lahore-born batsman is in sublime form these days, as he struck his maiden T20I hundred in Pakistan’s nine-wicket win over South Africa in the third T20I at SuperSport Park on 14 April. He was also awarded with player-of-the-series award for his 210 runs at 52.50 in the four-match series.

Babar’s captaincy has been on a constant improvement since last year series against Bangladesh. The men in green have won four T20I series (Bangladesh 2-0, Zimbabwe 3-0 and South Africa 2-1 at home and 3-1 away against South Africa) besides the 1-1 series draw against England, they are yet to lose a single T20I series.

On the ICC T20I rankings, Pakistan have gained two points after the series win against South Africa and have consolidated their fourth position with 262 points, with England on the top with 272 points, followed by India (270) and Australia (267).

If Pakistan win all three matches against Zimbabwe, they will gain one point and narrow the gap with third ranked Australia to four points. Winning the series 2-1, will still keep them to fourth position but will cost them two points and take them down to 260.

Losing the series 3-0 will demote Pakistan to fifth spot equal with New Zealand on 255 points each. On the contrary, if the hosts win the series or even a single match, they will climb one spot from 12th to 11th in the ICC rankings.

On the head to head chart, Pakistan have won all five bilateral T20I series against Zimbabwe. They have won all 14 T20I matches. Pakistan last visited Zimbabwe in July 2018, to feature in a tri-nation tournament involving Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Australia. Pakistan beat Australia by six wickets on 8 July at the Harare Sports Club to win the tournament.

 

[OMB]

Babar Azam is going strong. 65* (45 b) and with a healthy strike rate too. with 6 fours and a six so far

 

[Rana]

Babar Azam is going strong. 65* (45 b) and with a healthy strike rate too. with 6 fours and a six so far

It was a real wake up call for him when he saw Shahzad going at 200 in the power play.

 

[OMB]

T20 batting at it's BEST!
The [MENTION=36181]babar[/MENTION]azam258
50 - 59th of his T20 career������

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==

Babar in SMASHING form!
Back-to-back sixes by [MENTION=36181]babar[/MENTION]azam258
The @centralpunjabca captain nearing his 6th T20 100.

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[MenInG]

Pakistan captain Babar Azam on Thursday set a new record for the most T20 hundreds by a batsman from the country. He hit his 6th T20 hundred when playing for Central Punjab against Northen in the National T20 Cup in Rawalpindi, going past the tally of Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal who had scored 5 each.

Babar Azam also went past India captain Virat Kohli on the list of batters with most T20 hundreds. Kohli has scored 5 hundreds from 315 matches while Babar has 6 from 194 matches in the shortest format of the game.

Babar also joined the likes of Rohit Sharma and Shane Watson on the list of batters with most T20 hundreds.

Batters with most T20 hundreds

Chris Gayle - 22 from 448 matches
Michael Klinger - 8 from 206 matches
David Warner - 8 from 306 matches
Aaron Finch - 8 in 324 matches
Luke Wright - 7 in 336 matches
Brendon McCullum - 7 in 370 matches
Shane Watson - 6 in 343 matches
Rohit Sharma - 6 in 353 matches
Babar Azam - 6 in 194 matches

However, Babar Azam's record-breaking hundred ended in vain as Central Punjab lost Match 11 of the National T20 Cup to Northern despite posting 200 on the board in 20 overs.

Babar Azam hit 3 sixes and 11 boundaries for his 63-ball 105 as he stitched a 63-run stand with fellow opener Ahmed Shehzad. Babar remained unbeaten as he and Shoaib Malik (21-ball 31) helped Central Punjab post 200.

A stunning 53-ball 91 from Haider Ali who hit 6 sixes and as many boundaries set up Northern's chase. Mohammad Nawaz (21-ball 41) aand Asif Ali (14-ball 28) helped Northern gun down 201 in 19.4 overs.

Babar Azam though will be a happy man, considering he is getting the big runs in the lead up to the T20 World Cup. Pakistan will open their campaign against arch-rivals India in Dubai on October 24.

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...dred-overtakes-virat-kohli-1859294-2021-09-30

 

[OMB]

 

[Last Monetarist]

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fewest innings to 7000 runs in T20s:<br><br>Babar Azam 187<br>Chris Gayle 192<br>Virat Kohli 212<br>Aaron Finch 222<br>David Warner 223<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1444702932633534467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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[MenInG]

Babar's number on rank slipping away:

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[The_KING]

^Great work Rizwan

 

[MenInG]

In the ICC Men’s T20I Rankings for Batters there is a tie for top spot between Babar Azam and Dawid Malan. Mohammad Rizwan is now at a career-best 798 points and is the second Pakistani in the top three

 

[James]

<B>Babar Azam: A stellar 2021 capped off by a No.1 T20I ranking.</B>

<I>Babar Azam’s incredible 2021 has been capped off with a No.1 T20I batting ranking.</I>

Combining in an opening partnership of 158 with Mohammad Rizwan against the West Indies in Karachi to set up a 3-0 series win, Babar’s 79 from just 53 balls propelled him back to the top, overtaking Aiden Markram and Dawid Malan. He now sits No.1 in both the men's T20I and ODI rankings going into the final nine days of the year.

Babar’s legacy across all three formats is being forged in front of our eyes, though it’s in the game’s shortest format where his talent shone brightest in 2021.

In the calendar year, Babar amassed 939 runs at 37.56, with a strike rate of 127.58, kickstarted by a fruitful tour of South Africa in April.

Making an even 50 in Johannesburg, Babar pushed on with a knock of 122 from 59 balls in Centurion, in an exhibition of world-class batting. Only dismissed in the 18th over trying to ramp Lizaad Williams, his Pakistan would go on to chase the target of 204 with two overs to spare.

In such good touch, the innings was underlined by a guide to the third man boundary off a yorker by Sisanda Magala, at pace and honing into the off-stump. It was probably at that point where we should have seen Babar’s electric 2021 coming.

Fans and pundits alike questioned his move to the top of the order with Mohammad Rizwan, though the chorus of qualms were silenced with the the pair shouldering the batting load with aplomb.

The pair enjoyed each other’s company in 2021, making 1380 runs together, with an average partnership of 57.50. To put the figure into context, Uganda’s pair of Saud Islam and Simon Ssesazi (537) and Ireland’s Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien (518) were the next best across men’s T20I cricket for the year. At an average of a comparable 57.33, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma also looked dangerous, but only batted together on nine occasions.

Babar and Rizwan chased India's 151 unbeaten within 18 overs to open Pakistan's T20 World Cup account, and put on 113 for the first wicket against Namibia in Abu Dhabi during their barnstorming Super 12 campaign. The pair also put on 71 against Australia to set up a total of 176 in the tournament semi-final, only to be run down by their opponents in Dubai.

The other half of the game's in-form T20I opening pair, Rizwan himself enjoys a No.3 T20I batting ranking, with his rating of 798 the highest of his career. He also leapfrogs Markram, who drops to fourth.

At the wheel for Pakistan, the responsibilities did not hamper Babar’s batting brilliance, even in the spotlight at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Making 68* against India to turn the tournament on its head, Babar made three more fifties across the campaign.

The only player to pass 300 runs for the tournament, doing so at an average of over 60 and at a strike rate 126, Babar was pipped for Player of the Tournament honours by David Warner, who helped claim tournament silverware for Australia.

With another T20 World Cup around the corner next year in Australia, the experience gained in UAE will be invaluable for a skipper in a purple patch with the bat. Thanks

Despite a lean trot on tricky batting surfaces in Mirpur, making 7, 1 and 19, Babar led the team to a 3-0 series win against Bangladesh, and pushed on with another 3-0 win at home as captain, hosting the West Indies.

Babar finished the year strong on home soil, not only leading the team to another sweep in the field, but finishing off the series with 79 from 53 balls, striking nine fours and two sixes in the performance.

The knock in Karachi moved him back into top spot, and means Pakistan's captain is No.1 in both T20Is and ODIs, with Australia's Marnus Labuschagne claiming the No.1 spot on the MRF Tyres Test batting rankings.

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[sweep_shot]

Both Rizwan and Babar are the best T20 batsmen right now. I think it is a tie between them.

 

[daytrader]

Babar Azam became only the second cricketer to score 10 centuries in T20 cricket when he struck a 59-ball 104 for Colombo Strikers against Galle Titans in the Lanka Premier League on Monday at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

The Pakistan skipper has scored three T20 hundreds at the international level, two each in the Vitality Blast and National T20 Cup, for Somerset and Central Punjab, respectively. He also has a hundred in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for Peshawar Zalmi and another in a tour match against Leicestershire.

Babar took his tally of T20 centuries to 10 with his maiden triple-digit score in the Lanka Premier League and also became only the fourth centurion in the tournament’s history.

Chris Gayle of West Indies is the only batter with more T20 hundreds than Babar. The talismanic power-hitter has smashed 22 centuries in 463 matches. Babar has 10 hundreds in 264 T20 games.

His century on Monday took Colombo Strikers to a seven-wicket win with one ball spare in a 189-run chase.

 

[Rana]

Back to reality

24 off 21

16 of those runs came against one bowler in the 6th over of the powerplay

Horrendous T20 opener!