Babar Azam to Make T20I Return After Extended Absence
New Delhi: Pakistan’s Babar Azam is poised to make his return to T20 International cricket, participating in his first match in the format since December 2024. Pakistan coach Mike Hesson discussed Azam’s prior exclusion from T20Is, attributing it to the player’s need for improvement in specific areas. “There’s no doubt Babar has been asked to improve in some areas, particularly against spin and in terms of his strike-rate. Those are aspects I know he’s working very hard on at the moment,” Hesson stated in August.
With Fakhar Zaman resting, the Pakistan squad appears to have made adjustments following their performance in the Asia Cup 2025. On his return, Babar aims to set a new benchmark in T20I runs, as he is just nine runs shy of surpassing Rohit Sharma’s record. Currently, Babar’s tally stands at 4,223 runs from 121 innings, while Sharma, who has since retired from T20I cricket, holds the record with 4,231 runs across 151 innings.
T20I Batting Records
- Rohit Sharma: 4,231 runs in 151 innings
- Babar Azam: 4,223 runs in 121 innings
- Virat Kohli: 4,188 runs in 117 innings
- Jos Buttler: 3,869 runs in 132 innings
- Paul Stirling: 3,710 runs in 150 innings
Hesson also confirmed Babar’s batting position for the upcoming T20I series, indicating he is likely to bat at No. 3. “Azam is likely to bat at number three, and it is a role that I am confident he will be able to do well and give us some options coming into the World Cup,” Hesson remarked.
He noted that Fakhar has been rested to ensure he returns fresh for the One Day Internationals. Hesson added that while Mohammad Haris was given multiple opportunities, he struggled to capitalize on them, emphasizing that as a young player, he needs to enhance his performance in domestic cricket.
