Babar Azam Enters Record Books for Wrong Reasons
Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam experienced a disastrous outing in Rawalpindi on Thursday, registering his tenth duck in T20 Internationals. This unfortunate milestone places him alongside fellow countrymen Umar Akmal and Saim Ayub at the top of Pakistan's unwanted list for most T20I ducks.
Match Turning Point in Tense Chase
The dramatic moment unfolded during Pakistan's chase of 185 runs against Sri Lanka in the sixth match of the ongoing T20I tri-series. With Pakistan needing stability after early setbacks, all eyes were on their premier batsman. However, Babar's innings lasted just two balls before Dushmantha Chameera trapped him plumb in front on the final delivery of the fourth over.
What made this dismissal particularly significant was its historic weight. This marked Babar's 10th T20I duck, pulling him level with Umar Akmal and Saim Ayub in this embarrassing statistic. The 31-year-old's failure came at a crucial juncture, putting additional pressure on the middle order during a challenging run chase.
Global Context and Sri Lanka's Statement Victory
While Babar now shares the Pakistani record, the global list of most T20I ducks is led by Sri Lanka's former captain Dasun Shanaka with 15. Six players sit on 13 ducks, while former India captain Rohit Sharma ended his career with 12.
The match itself proved to be a thriller decided in the final over. Sri Lanka, needing victory to reach the final, delivered under high pressure, edging Pakistan by six runs. Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera emerged as the match-winner, claiming impressive figures of 4 for 20 and showing remarkable composure in the death overs.
Earlier, Sri Lanka had posted a competitive 184/5, powered by Kamil Mishra's superb 76 off 48 balls and Kusal Mendis' brisk 40. Pakistan's chase suffered early collapse as Chameera ripped through the top order, reducing them to 43/4. Captain Salman Ali Agha fought valiantly with a career-best 63 off 44, supported by Usman Khan (33) and Mohammad Nawaz (27), but the early damage proved too much to overcome.
The victory secured Sri Lanka's place in the tri-series final, while Pakistan will need to regroup after this disappointing performance from their usually reliable batting superstar.
