Pakistan secured a convincing 6-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the T20 Tri-Series final, but captain Babar Azam’s dream of breaking Virat Kohli’s world record remains unfulfilled. The Pakistani skipper fell just 13 runs short of achieving a half-century and surpassing Kohli’s milestone for most fifties in T20 International cricket.
Batting first, Sri Lanka managed only 115 runs in their innings, setting a modest target for the hosts. Pakistan chased down the score with 8 balls to spare, thanks largely to Babar Azam’s unbeaten 37-run knock that guided his team to victory.
Despite leading Pakistan to the trophy, Babar would be disappointed at missing out on both his individual fifty and the opportunity to break Virat Kohli’s record. Currently, both Kohli and Babar are tied at 38 half-centuries each in T20I cricket – the most by any player in the format’s history.
Former Indian captain Virat Kohli, who retired from T20I cricket after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, scored his last fifty against South Africa in the final. Babar had earlier equalled Kohli’s tally with a half-century against Zimbabwe in the same tri-series, but failed to go past the Indian batting legend.
In his T20I career spanning 136 matches, Babar has scored 4,429 runs in 129 innings at an average of 39.54 – the highest by any batsman in the format. His record includes 38 fifties and 3 centuries, matching Kohli’s fifty count.
The wait to break this record could be lengthy for Babar. Pakistan’s next T20I assignment appears to be the T20 World Cup scheduled for February. If selected for the tournament, Babar could potentially surpass Kohli’s record during that competition.
In the final, Sri Lanka’s batting collapsed to 114 all out despite Kusal Mendis scoring 59 runs. Apart from Mendis, no other Sri Lankan batsman could reach even 15 runs, with seven players dismissed in single digits. Pakistani bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz were the standout performers, claiming 3 wickets each.
Chasing 115, Pakistan lost 6 wickets but completed the task comfortably. Saim Ayub contributed 36 runs to give Pakistan a solid start, while Babar remained unbeaten on 37 to see his team home and lift the tri-series trophy.
My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
