Champions Cup: Babar Azam hits five fours in an over
Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan's limited-overs cricket team, demonstrated his exceptional skills during the fourth match of the Champions Cup 2024. The match was held at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, where Azam's team, Stallions, faced off against Markhors. The highlight of the game was when Azam hit five consecutive fours against fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani. Here are further details.
Azam's batting prowess propels Stallions's chase
The Stallions were chasing a target of 232 runs when Azam, batting at No.3, began his onslaught in the eighth over. His aggressive batting against Dahani included a boundary pulled in front of square and another glided down to the third-man region. Despite starting with a dot ball, Azam managed to shift the momentum in favor of his team with his powerful stroke play.
Azam dominates Dahani with consecutive boundaries
Dahani's short ball was met with a powerful strike from Azam, resulting in another boundary through point. This was followed by a fourth four off a square drive. The over concluded with Azam pulling another boundary, propelling the Stallions to 47/1 after eight overs. Despite his team's eventual collapse, Azam's performance stood out as he scored 45 runs off 44 balls, including eight fours.
Stallions' collapse and Azam's dismissal
Despite Azam's impressive performance, the Stallions were unable to secure victory. The team collapsed at 105 in 23.4 overs, losing their last eight wickets for just 26 runs within a span of 8.4 overs. Azam was dismissed by leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood while attempting a pull shot, with Naseem Shah making an easy catch at short fine leg.
Azam shines as 2nd-highest run-scorer of tournament
Despite the Stallions's loss, Azam's performance has placed him as the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament. He has accumulated 121 runs from two matches at an average of 60.50. With this knock, Azam has raced to 8,766 List A runs at a fine average of 55.13 (100: 29, 50s: 51). 5,729 of his runs have come in ODIs at 56.72. Meanwhile, Markhors continue to lead the table with victories in both their matches, while Stallions hold the second position.
