Despite a defeat in the opening T20I, Pakistan captain Babar Azam scripted history as he equalled Virat Kohli's record of most fifty-plus scores in men's T20Is. Babar smacked 57 off 43 balls, packed with eight fours and a six, as Pakistan posted 182/6 in 20 overs.
Chasing 183, Andrew Balbirnie's 55-ball 77 proved to be key as Ireland reached 183/5 in 19.5 overs. The win saw Ireland grab a 1-0 lead in the ongoing three-match series. Speaking after the match, Babar said, "I think we started no good, in the first 6 overs, the pitch is two-paced. But we recovered very well, 190 is a par score and we lost in the bowling and fielding. We did not execute our plans, few sloppy fielding, had we taken that catch... That's why they win because they attack us. [on if they will practice tomorrow] Let's see, let's talk with the coach."
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Although Pakistan lost, Babar will gain some confidence from his batting. Both Babar and Virat now have 38 fifty-plus scores in T20Is. On the other hand, Kohli has a ton in T20Is, alongwith 37 fifties. Babar has three centuries and 35 fifties to his name.
{{/usCountry}}Although Pakistan lost, Babar will gain some confidence from his batting. Both Babar and Virat now have 38 fifty-plus scores in T20Is. On the other hand, Kohli has a ton in T20Is, alongwith 37 fifties. Babar has three centuries and 35 fifties to his name.
{{/usCountry}}Both also have a top score of 122 in T20Is, with the Indian batter remaining unbeaten. Babar is yet to cross the 4000 run mark in T20Is, with Kohli already at 4037. Rohit Sharma (34), Mohammad Rizwan (27) and David Warner (27) are the next three in the list of most fifty-plus T20I scores.
Babar's return to Pakistan captaincy created plenty of controversy. It left Shaheen Shah Afridi, with the manner in which PCB replaced him with Babar. This is also Babar's second stint as Pakistan captain. The manner in which it was done created controversy as Afridi was left furious with a statement on PCB's website which carried his quotes, which he did not say.
In a press conference, Babar even stated that he and Shaheen enjoy a good relationship. "I want to make clear that Shaheen [Afridi] and my bond is not recent, it goes back a long way," Babar said.
"We support each other in every situation. Our aim is to put Pakistan first, and how to put Pakistan's name up in lights. We don't think of individual glory, and thankfully, those elements are not present in my team," he further added.