Babar Azam smashes his 29th T20I fifty: Key stats
Babar Azam smashed his 29th T20I half-century as Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in the ongoing Tri-series, also involving hosts New Zealand. Babar scored a 40-ball 55 as Pakistan chased down 174 with a ball to spare. The Pakistan skipper now has second-most fifties in T20Is. Virat Kohli (31) leads the list. Babar also has two centuries in the format.
Why does this story matter?
Babar, the third-ranked T20I batter, has been prolific in the format ever since his debut in 2016. He smashed his second fifty of the ongoing series, guiding Pakistan to their third win in the four league matches. The Men in Green will now meet New Zealand in the summit clash on October 14. Bangladesh ended their campaign without a win.
Babar Azam's fifty takes Pakistan over the line
Babar's knock was laced with nine boundaries and he struck at the rate of 137.50. He was well supported by his opening partner Mohammad Rizwan, who scored a 56-ball 69. Scoring an unbeaten 45 off 20 balls, Mohammad Nawaz added the finishing touches. Babar has now gone past Indian skipper Rohit Sharma (28) in terms of fifties in the format.
Babar Azam performance in T20Is
Having scored 3,216 runs in 91 games, Babar is Pakistan's highest and overall the third-highest run-aggregator in T20Is. He averages 44.05 and has a strike rate of 129.78 in T20Is. His tally of 31 fifty-plus scores is only second to Rohit (32) and Kohli (34). While Babar has two T20I tons, his highest score (122) came against South Africa last year.
Babar's performance against Bangladesh
The Pakistan opener hasn't really enjoyed batting against Bangladesh in T20Is. He has so far scored 170 runs in seven games against Bangla Tigers with his average and strike rate being 28.33 and 112.58. Babar has two fifties against the opposition with his highest score (66*) coming in January 2020. The right-handed batter has two single-digit scores and a duck against Bangladesh.
His overall stats in T20 cricket
Overall in the 20-over format, Babar has 8,355 runs in 235 matches at an average and strike rate of 44.67 and, 128.24 respectively. He has 70 fifties alongside seven centuries. Babar's highest score in the format remains 122.
A look at his numbers this year
Babar has scored 596 runs in 18 T20Is in 2022 at an average and strike rate of 39.73 and 132.73 respectively. He has slammed four half-centuries alongside a hundred (110*) which came against England. Overall, Babar has scored 939 runs in 28 T20 games this year (50s: 6, 100s: 1). He has scored at an average and strike rate of 39.12 and 127.23 respectively.
Babar and Rizwan's stellar partnership record
Having added 101 runs for the first wicket, Babar and Rizwan recorded their eighth century partnership in T20Is. The pair also has eight half-century partnerships while their average reads 54.38. No other pair has more than such partnerships. Their tally of 2,284 runs in 44 games is also the highest for any pair in T20Is. No other pair has crossed the 2,000-run mark.
