A new milestone has been reached in the world of cricket as Babar Azam etches his name into the record books. On a brisk Sunday, May 12, in Dublin, Pakistan’s cricket team rejoiced as their captain Babar Azam became the most triumphant skipper in the history of T20 internationals. This significant achievement came as Pakistan emerged victorious over Ireland, balancing the scales of the three-match T20 series to sit at 1-1. The win, carved out with 7 wickets in hand, marked Babar’s 45th win leading the Pakistan team in T20 international matches.
The historic victory launched Babar past two notable figures in the T20I realm—England’s Eoin Morgan and Uganda’s Brian Masaba—to claim the top spot. Prior to claiming this new title, Babar had already tallied 42 wins as a T20I captain. After being reinstated to captain Pakistan’s white-ball teams, his leadership in wins at home against New Zealand and now the celebrated victory against Ireland has propelled him to international acclaim. With the upcoming England series and the T20 World Cup looming in the next couple of months, Babar stands ripe with opportunity to further distance himself from the competition, with Masaba and India’s Rohit Sharma being his nearest challengers.
The captain’s race for supremacy has now shaped up as follows: Babar Azam of Pakistan with 45 wins in 78 matches, Uganda’s Brian Masaba with 44 wins in 56 matches, England’s Eoin Morgan with 44 wins in 71 matches, Afghanistan’s Asghar Afghan with 42 wins in 52 matches, India’s Rohit Sharma with 42 wins in 54 matches, and India’s MS Dhoni holding 42 wins in 72 matches.
Pakistan’s win in Dublin was anchored by an exceptional 140-run partnership between Fakhar Zaman and the undaunted Mohammad Rizwan. Together, they demonstrated finesse and aggression pursuing a target of 194 runs, a chase that at first seemed dicey when Pakistan was two wickets down by the second over itself. Fakhar unleashed a relentless assault on Ireland’s leg-spinner Craig Young. Once settled at the crease, his batting was a display of exquisitely timed brutality, meticulously unraveling the opposition’s bowling. Mohammad Rizwan, too, found his rhythm, crafting his innings to guide Pakistan to victory and pushing the series to what promises to be an engaging decider.
Earlier in the day, it was a batter’s paradise as Ireland, capitalizing on the excellent wicket, notched up a formidable 193, primarily due to a finely crafted half-century from wicketkeeper-batter Lorcan Tucker, and a swift 28 off 10 balls from Gareth Delany. It set the stage for what would become a scoreboard pressure test for Pakistan, one they ultimately passed with flying colors.
The stakes are now elevated as the teams prepare to clash in the decisive third match on Tuesday, May 14. The series, perfectly poised, will be a testament to strategy and temperament, both of which have been hallmarks of Babar Azam’s captaincy throughout his stewardship of the Pakistan team. As Babar continues to elevate his stature in the T20 international scene, cricket enthusiasts worldwide eagerly anticipate the unfolding of what could be a storied career for the young captain.
