"My main focus is to eat as much biryani as I can.."- Top 10 funny Babar Azam memes after his 9 (16) vs Bangladesh in 2023 World Cup
Pakistan captain Babar Azam faced the fans' wrath after his batting failure in the 2023 ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh on October 31 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. He hit two half-centuries in the previous games but failed to make an impact on Tuesday.
Bangladesh batted first after winning the toss and got bundled out for 204 in 45.1 overs. Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Wasim Jr starred in the bowling department for Pakistan by picking up three wickets apiece. Mahmudullah (56) was the top scorer for Bangladesh in their line-up.
Fakhar Zaman (81) and Abdullah Shafique (68) then put on a 128-run opening partnership and laid down a magnificent platform for their side. Shafique departed in the 22nd over while trying to finish the match quickly. Babar Azam entered the crease at this juncture with his team in the driver's seat, as they needed less than 80 runs to win.
He struggled for a while and took 16 balls to score his 9 runs before perishing in the 26th over. He handed a simple catch to a long-on fielder with a miscued lofted shot. Pakistan eventually reached 205/3 in 32.3 overs and won the match by 7 wickets.
Babar Azam's failure against Bangladesh in a must-win game caught the attention of fans, who trolled him brutally on social media platforms by sharing hilarious memes.
Here are some memes related to his innings:
"We are still hopeful"- Pakistan captain Babar Azam about his semi-final chances after a dominating win against Bangladesh
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Babar Azam applauded his teammates for doing their jobs efficiently and contributing to a clinical win against Bangladesh. He reserved special praise for opener Fakhar Zaman for playing a match-winning knock in the chase. Babar Azam said:
"I think credit goes to the boys for our performance today. Yes, we know what Fakhar can do. It's always a different ball game of Fakhar bats for 20 overs. Yes, we are still hopeful about our semi-final chances. We will try to win the last two matches and see where we stand."
On their bowling performance, he added:
"Yes, we started well. The way Shaheen started and after that when they built a partnership, I had to call my main bowlers and they delivered. They stuck to good lengths and we managed to get some wickets in the middle overs.
"Thanks to the Kolkata crowd for supporting me and my team."
Pakistan will next face New Zealand on November 4 in Bengaluru.