Babar Azam Ruled Out of First Test Against Bangladesh Due to Knee Injury

May 8, 2026

New Delhi, May 8: Pakistani cricket star Babar Azam will miss the first Test match against Bangladesh due to a knee injury. The match is set to take place on Friday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. However, the team management has not clarified whether Babar will be sidelined for the entire series.

Babar’s absence creates a gap in Pakistan’s middle order, potentially paving the way for a debutant. The top three batsmen will likely include Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, and either Azam Awais or Abdullah Fazal.

In Babar’s absence, both players may get a chance in the top four, or there could be room for fast-bowling all-rounder Amad Butt, allowing Mohammad Rizwan or Saud Shakeel to move up the batting order.

Babar Azam has been showing signs of returning to form, but this injury is a significant setback for Pakistan. The 31-year-old was the leading run-scorer in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he captained Peshawar Zalmi to victory. In this season of the PSL, Babar scored 588 runs in 11 matches at an average of 73.50, including two centuries and three half-centuries.

Babar arrived in Bangladesh just hours after Peshawar Zalmi’s PSL title win on Monday. He practiced with the team for two days without any issues, but upon waking up Thursday morning, he felt pain in his left knee. Consequently, the medical team decided to keep him out of the first Test. This will be the first ‘away’ Test match that Babar will miss since January 2021.

For over a decade, the left-handed batsman has been a crucial part of the Test team. Although he was dropped for two Tests against England at the end of 2024, he made a swift return to the squad.

This series marks Pakistan’s first overseas Test series in the current World Test Championship cycle. The team has played two Tests so far, both at home against South Africa, winning one and losing the other. In the last Test series between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Bangladesh swept Pakistan 2-0 on their home turf.

The first Test match of the series between Bangladesh and Pakistan will commence on May 8 in Dhaka, with the next match scheduled to take place in Sylhet on May 16.