Did Babar Azam’s T20I comeback end in disappointment as Pakistan fell to South Africa?

WEB DESK: Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam endured a nightmare return to T20 international cricket, falling for a two-ball duck as his side crashed to a 55-run defeat against South Africa in the opening match of the three-game series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Making his T20I comeback under the captaincy of Agha Salman, Babar’s dismissal by pacer Corbin Bosch added an unwanted record to his name, he now shares the tally for most T20I ducks by a Pakistani batter, equalising Shahid Afridi’s eight. Afridi reached the mark in 90 innings, while Babar took 122. For comparison, India’s Virat Kohli has seven ducks in the format. The fans eagerly waited for Babar to become the T20I batter with highest number of runs but all hopes went in vain.

Pakistan’s top order faltered early, with Agha Salman managing just two runs and Babar departing without scoring. Though Saim Ayub and Mohammad Nawaz produced brief resistance, the rest of the batting lineup collapsed under disciplined South African bowling.

With the loss, Pakistan trail 0–1 in the series and face mounting pressure to regroup ahead of the next encounter. Babar’s early dismissal not only dampened Pakistan’s chase but also extended his recent lean run in T20Is, a concern the hosts will hope to address quickly if they aim to stay alive in the series.