Babar Azam

If someone gives dollar bills to a batter for playing jaw-dropping cover drives, then Babar Azam would become a billionaire in no time.

Pakistan’s modern-day genius, Babar, is a staggering batter with a solid technique and an orthodox approach to the game. In the last few years, he has emerged as one of the best batters in world cricket and has been called Pakistan’s answer to Virat Kohli.

The right-handed batter came into the limelight during the U-15 World Championship in 2008. He played the U-19 World Cup in the 2010 and 2012 editions and ended both tournaments as Pakistan’s leading run-scorer.

After a successful 2010 Junior World Cup, the young batter made his domestic debut for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited, then played for the State Bank of Pakistan, and later joined Central Punjab.

The Lahore-born piled up thousands of runs in the domestic arena and was called a star even before making it into the international scene.

Babar Azam ODI Career

In May 2015, the promising batter, Babar Azam, was included in the squad for the ODI against Zimbabwe. It was a historic series, where international cricket returned to the country after the heartbreaking terror attack in 2009. On May 31, 2015, Babar scored a half-century on debut and never looked back.

Later, he impressed everyone with two consecutive fifties against New Zealand Down Under. In 2016, he slammed three back-to-back hundreds against the West Indies, bringing the whole cricketing fraternity to awe of his ‘sheer class’.

Fast forward to 2017, in the 3rd ODI against Australia, Babar became one of the fastest Pakistan players to score 1000 runs in ODIs and T20Is, doing so in 21 innings and 26 innings, respectively.

Babar was a part of Pakistan's squad that won the 2017 Champions Trophy. He had an under-par performance by his standards. However, the young batter played a fluent knock of 46 in the final against India. He backed his average outings at the ICC event with two centuries on a trot against Sri Lanka.

In 2019, during the preparations for the World Cup, Babar was in astonishing form and played superbly against New Zealand, South Africa, and England. He also had a great World Cup, scoring 474 runs.  

Babar’s dominance continued in the ODI series, where he shattered records by becoming the fastest Asian to reach 4000 ODI runs (in 82 innings) and the quickest to 15 ODI centuries (in 83 innings). 

Under his leadership, Pakistan achieved a historic feat by securing their first ODI series win against Australia since 2002, further cementing Babar’s legacy as a leader and run-machine.

He became the fastest batter to reach 5,000 ODI runs, achieving the milestone in just 97 innings, surpassing some of the game’s greatest names. His brilliance with the bat continued as he notched up his 18th ODI century, setting yet another record as the quickest to reach this landmark. 

Adding to his growing legacy as a leader, Babar guided Pakistan to the No.1 ODI ranking for the first time in 33 years, a historic achievement that underscored his impact as both a captain and a match-winner.

Babar Azam T20I Career

On the back of his brilliance in the ODIs, Babar Azam was awarded both Test and T20I caps. He made his T20I debut for Pakistan on September 7, 2016, against England in Manchester, scoring an unbeaten 15 runs off 11 balls.

The prodigious talent shone the brightest in the 2017 World XI tour of Pakistan. Playing all three matches, Babar was the top run-getter in the series, scoring 179.

Along with his accomplishments in the longer formats, Babar has stepped up in the T20I format and emerged as one of the best batters across the globe. In October 2018, he secured first place in the ICC’s T20I rankings. Soon, Babar was Pakistan’s captain in 2019, starting from the shortest format.

Meanwhile, he registered his maiden T20I century with a breathtaking 122 against South Africa and cemented his legacy by becoming the fastest batsman to reach 2000 T20I runs in just 52 innings.

Stepping onto the grand stage of the 2021 T20 World Cup, Babar embraced the responsibility of leading Pakistan with remarkable composure. As the team’s captain, he amassed 303 runs in the tournament, the most by any player that year, while also setting a new record for most fifties (four) in a single T20 World Cup edition.

The Pakistan batter reached another milestone in his illustrious career as he stepped onto the field for his 100th T20I match. He marked the occasion in style, smashing his third T20I century—an elegant 101 off 58 balls—becoming the first captain in history to register three T20I hundreds.

Babar Azam Test Career

Making his Test debut on 13th October 2016, Babar Azam scored 69 runs in his first innings, becoming the first player to score a fifty on his Test debut through a day/night Test.

After a fair start, Babar was exposed in Australia during the 2016-17 series, but Mickey Arthur (then head coach) backed the future star.  

His leadership and batting prowess continued to shine in the longest format of the game, as he steered Pakistan to a dominant 2-0 Test series victory over Zimbabwe. His remarkable start as captain saw him become the first Pakistan skipper to win his first four Test matches, highlighting his growing influence in the longest format.

Facing a formidable Australian side on home soil, Azam delivered a masterclass in resilience and brilliance. In the second Test, he played a breathtaking knock of 196 in the fourth innings, setting a new record for the highest score by a captain in a fourth-innings chase.

Babar Azam’s Career Post Captaincy

After years of leading Pakistan across formats, Babar Azam made the tough decision to step down as captain in November 2023, marking the end of an era. The resignation came in the aftermath of Pakistan’s disappointing campaign at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, in which the team failed to advance beyond the group stage, drawing heavy criticism from fans and experts.

Months after stepping down, Babar found himself back at the helm as he was reappointed Pakistan’s white-ball captain ahead of the T20 World Cup 2025. The decision came amid Pakistan’s search for stability in leadership following inconsistent performances under different captains. With his vast experience and proven track record, the PCB saw Babar as the ideal choice to lead the team into a crucial ICC event.

In October 2024, Babar announced his resignation as Pakistan's white-ball captain for the second time in less than a year, citing a need to reduce his workload and focus on his batting. His decision followed Pakistan's early exit from the T20 World Cup in June 2024, where the team failed to progress beyond the group stage.

The musical chairs in Pakistan’s captaincy also resulted in Babar Azam’s dip in form across all formats. It led to the stylish batter losing his place in the shortest format. Meanwhile, Babar is also reinventing himself in ODI and Test formats.

However, a talented batter like Babar Azam is always a knock away from rediscovering his form and silencing the critics. 

(As of March 2026)