What is Babar Azam’s record in the Asia Cup?
Pakistan captain Babar Azam will be crucial to the team’s fortunes during their upcoming Asia Cup 2023 campaign. The tournament will be played in a hybrid model in Sri Lanka and Pakistan from August 30 to September 17. Pakistan were the runners-up when the Asia Cup was held in the T20I format last year in the UAE, going down to Sri Lanka by 23 runs in the final in Dubai.
Babar recently led Pakistan in the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka, which they won 3-0. The 28-year-old scored 113 runs in three innings at an average of 37.67. The Pakistan skipper began the series with a three-ball duck but followed it up with 53 off 66 balls in the second ODI. He impressed in the third and final one-dayer of the series as well, contributing 60 off 86 balls.
Babar has an impressive overall record in one-dayers, having notched up 5202 runs in 103 matches at an average of 58.44, with 18 hundreds and 28 fifties.
Babar Azam’s Asia Cup numbers in ODIs
Babar has played five matches in the Asia Cup in the ODI format, all of them during the 2018 edition. He has had a mixed tournament, scoring 156 runs in five matches at an average of 31.20.
The right-handed batter scored 33 off 36 balls against Hong Kong and followed it up with 47 off 62 against India in an eight-wicket loss. Pakistan were bowled out for 162 in 43.1 overs batting first, a total the Men in Blue chased down in only 29 overs.
His top score in the Asia Cup in the ODI format came in Pakistan’s next match in the 2018 edition, when he contributed a patient 66 off 94 balls as his side defeated Afghanistan by three wickets, chasing down 258.
Babar, however, ended Asia Cup 2018 on a disappointing note. He was run out for 9 off 25 against India in the Super Four clash in Dubai. Against Bangladesh, he was trapped lbw by Mustafizur Rahman for 1 as Pakistan succumbed to defeat by 37 runs.
Babar Azam’s Asia Cup numbers in T20Is
Babar captained Pakistan during the 2022 Asia Cup in the UAE, which was played in the T20 format. Even as Pakistan finished runners-up, Babar had a forgettable tournament on a personal note.
The right-handed batter managed only 68 runs in six innings at a paltry average of 11.33. Babar registered a highest score of 30 in the competition, which came against Sri Lanka in the Super Four contest. His other scores in Asia Cup 2022 read 10, 9, 14, 0, and 5.