Babar Azam Faces Setback as Sri Lanka Reaches Tri-Series Final

Rawalpindi:

Sri Lanka qualified for the final of the T20I tri-series with a thrilling six-run win over Pakistan in the final league stage game. They defended 184 runs against a spirited Pakistan line-up that stormed back from a precarious start courtesy of a brilliant knock from their captain Salman Ali Agha. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam bagged a second-ball duck to register an unwanted record in the shortest format of the game.

With this duck, Babar now has the joint-most ducks in T20Is for Pakistan, equalling Umar Akmal and Saim Ayub. All three Pakistan batters have 10 ducks each in the format. It has been a forgettable tournament for Babar, having scored only 90 runs in four matches at an average of 22.5 and a mediocre strike rate of 113.92. 

Not long ago, the former Pakistan captain had returned to form with a century in the second ODI against Sri Lanka, ending a streak of 83 international innings without a ton. However, since then, the man has once again been struggling for runs and consistency, which is a massive concern for Pakistan.

What happened in the match?

As far as the match is concerned, Sri Lanka posted more than a competitive total on the board after losing the toss. They managed to score 184 runs in their 20 overs, thanks to a superb knock from Kamil Mishara, who scored 76 runs off 48 deliveries with six fours and three sixes.

In response, Pakistan were in early trouble in the chase at 43/4 in 5.2 overs. Salman Agha and Usman Khan then stitched a 56-run partnership, even as the Pakistan captain led from the front to slam 63 runs. He remained unbeaten till the end but couldn’t take his team over the line. The hosts left quite a few runs to score in the last few overs and eventually fell short.

Nevertheless, Pakistan have already qualified for the final and will yet again face Sri Lanka in the summit clash on Saturday, November 29.

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