Key Pakistan batter Babar Azam had a forgettable outing in the IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026 clash today (February 15). He got dismissed cheaply for a five-ball seven, getting clean bowled by Axar Patel. Notably, Babar’s latest knock comes amidst strong criticism surrounding his strike-rate and impact in the shortest format.
Babar walked out after Pakistan made a dismal start to their chase of 176, losing both openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub in the first two overs of the innings.
Given Babar’s experience, he was expected to absorb the pressure and steady the ship for the early setback. However, he once again failed to step up when the team needed him, which saw the former Pakistan skipper get ridiculed on social media.
Check some of the reactions below.
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Babar Azam’s strike rate issues saw him previously getting dropped from the Pakistan T20I setup but he made a return to the side before the ICC event, given his pedigree and the ability to anchor the Pakistan batting lineup. Nevertheless, the dynamic right-hander has failed to live upto expectations with scores of 15, 46 and 5 so far.
Prior to the T20 World Cup 2026, Babar had a subpar BBL 2025-26, where scored 202 runs for the Sydney Sixers in 11 innings at a strike rate of just 103.06 and an average of 22.44.
Going ahead in the tournament, Pakistan will need to solve the Babar Azam problem once the lower-ranked teams are eliminated and almost every encounter will be a decisive game.
Speaking about the IND vs PAK match, Suryakumar Yadav & Co secured a comprehensive win over their arch-rivals. India managed to bowl out Pakistan for 118 in 18 overs to seal the contest by 61 runs as the Men in Blue continued their domination with a eighth win against them in T20 World Cups.
In the process, India also maintained their unbeaten run in the T20 World Cup 2026 and secured their qualification into the Super 8s with three wins in three matches and six points with a game still left to go.
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