[Watch] Angry Babar Azam involved in heated exchange with Durdanto Dhaka keeper during BPL 2024 match
Senior Pakistan batter Babar Azam was visibly peeved about something during a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2024 match on Saturday, January 27, and was seen having a heated exchange with the opposition’s wicketkeeper.
Babar is representing Rangpur Riders in BPL 2024. On Saturday, the Riders faced Durdanto Dhaka in match number 12 of the T20 league at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. Rangpur Riders were asked to bat first after losing the toss.
During his batting stint, opener Babar was involved in an ugly exchange of words with Durdanto Dhaka wicketkeeper Irfan Sukkur. In the viral video, Dhaka cricketer Mohammad Naim Sheikh is seen trying to calm down Irfan, while an enraged Babar is heard telling the keeper.
"I am not talking to you.”
The former Pakistan captain is also seen engaging in a discussion with his batting partner Mohammad Nabi over the matter. The on-field umpires then intervened to calm down the situation.
Babar was named Player of the Match for his half-century
Maintaining his batting composure despite the incident featuring him and Dhaka keeper Irfan, Babar ended up scoring a crucial 62 off 46 balls. His innings featured five fours and a six as Rangpur Riders posted a competitive 183/8 on the board.
The Pakistan batting star has been in good touch with the willow. In three matches in BPL 2024, he has scored 120 runs at an average of 60.00 and a strike rate of 116.50.
While Babar was the top-scorer in Rangpur Riders’ innings, there were plenty of other handy contributions. Opener Brandon King smashed 20 off 13, skipper Nurul Hasan scored 26 off 24, while Azmatullah Omarzai hammered 32 off 15 balls. Shamim Hossain also played a nice cameo of 17 in eight balls. For Durdanto Dhaka, Arafat Sunny registered figures of 3/32.
Rangpur Riders came up with a dominant performance with the ball to bundle out Durdanto Dhaka for 104 in 16.3 overs. Alex Ross smashed 51 off 35, but none of the other batters could make much of an impression in the chase.
For the bowling side, Mahedi Hasan claimed three wickets, while Omarzai and Hasan Mahmud picked up two each as Rangpur Riders registered a comprehensive 79-run win.
Rangpur Riders are fourth in the BPL 2024 points table, with four points and a net run rate of +0.734.