Against bowler Shahnawaz Dahani, Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam hit a string of fours on September 15, during the Stallions vs. Markhors Champions One-Day Cup 2024 match at Faisalabad. In one over, Azam hit five consecutive boundaries off the pacer.
In the fifth over, the Stallions, chasing a goal of 232 runs, found themselves in a precarious situation at 13/1. The onus was on the seasoned Azam to right the ship and shift the momentum in his team’s favor. The 29-year-old scored five runs off of ten deliveries in the first over, showing off his entire arsenal of shots against Dahani. A dot ball started the over, but what came next was a hitting masterclass.
It’s interesting to note that Dahani later shared a video of himself being smacked by Babar Azam on social media. He made it sound as though he was trying to give the Pakistan captain credit for his batting, pointing out that the batsman had an easy time against him. Dahani was mocked by some, who made fun of him by wondering if he still had any self-respect. On the other hand, some others were impressed by his genuine sportsmanship.
4, 4, 4, 4, 4 by Babar Azam against Shahnawaz Dahani 🔥#ChampionsCup | #PakistanCricketpic.twitter.com/hxZq7uXpks
— Grassroots Cricket (@grassrootscric) September 15, 2024
Babar Azam is now the competition’s third-highest run scorer
Babar Azam’s innings was cut short at a run-a-ball 45, which featured eight boundaries, despite the amazing start. The Stallions’ batting order collapsed under pressure after his dismissal, which turned out to be a game-changing moment. They gave up a sweeping 126-run victory against the Markhors after falling from a commanding 79-3 to a modest 105 all out.
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After scoring 121 runs in two innings at an average of 60.50 during this encounter after his Player of the encounter performance of 76 in the tournament opener, Azam is now ranked third in the standings for most runs scored in the ongoing championship.
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