Babar Azam’s tough times don’t seem to end. After failing in the Champions Trophy, he has now disappointed in the National T20 Cup as well. Playing his first match of the tournament for Lahore Blues, Babar delivered a poor performance. His team lost the match by 37 runs. Karachi Whites posted a total of 171 runs in 20 overs, while Lahore Blues were bowled out for just 134 runs. Babar Azam could only manage to score 22 runs in this game.
Another Disappointing Knock from Babar Azam
Babar Azam came out to open the innings but struggled from the beginning. In the powerplay, he faced 10 balls and scored just 12 runs. Even after the powerplay, he couldn’t accelerate, managing only 10 more runs from 7 balls. He hit three boundaries in his innings, finishing with a strike rate of 129. Eventually, Danish Aziz dismissed him.
Also Read- Babar Azam Fails Again: Breaks Record for Poor Batting with 16th Consecutive Failure
Karachi Whites Secure Victory
Karachi Whites’ victory was scripted by Saud Shakeel, who played a brilliant knock. Opening the innings, Shakeel scored 73 runs off 52 balls, smashing three sixes and eight fours. His opening partner, Khawaja Nafay, contributed 20 runs before getting out. Karachi’s middle order wobbled slightly as Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood were dismissed for just four runs each. However, Mohammad Taha Khan and Danish Aziz steadied the innings with 23 runs each. In the end, Saqib Khan added 20 runs, helping the team reach 171 in 20 overs.
Lahore Blues’ Poor Batting Performance
Lahore Blues had high hopes for a good start on a batting-friendly pitch. Umar Siddiq played aggressively, scoring 24 runs off 14 balls, but Babar Azam batted too slowly. Umar was the first to be dismissed, followed by Imran Butt (1 run) and Hussain Talat (3 runs). Before the 10th over, Babar Azam was also out, and Lahore Blues found themselves struggling at 66/4.
In the middle order, Qasim Akram fought back with a 36-run knock, while Nisar Ahmed played a quick cameo, scoring 21 runs off just 9 balls. Despite their efforts, Lahore Blues fell short and had to face defeat.