Babar Azam's T20I And World Cup Performance Against India Examined

Babar Azam top-scored for Pakistan in their opening match of the T20 World Cup 2024, but the Men in Green ended up on the losing side after a thrilling Super Over finish in Dallas on Thursday, June 6.

Pakistan finished at 159/7 after being asked to bat first before USA equalled the score and then won the Super Over. Babar Azam's slow 43-ball knock for 44 runs was among the key reasons why Pakistan suffered the shock defeat.

Babar Azam recently returned as the Pakistan captain ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. He stepped down from the position across formats after Pakistan's poor run in the ODI World Cup 2023.

His return to captaincy just after a couple of series made headlines, and so did the performance of Pakistan in the recent few T20Is. Pakistan lost against Ireland last month before losing the series against England. The latest beating against the USA has brought Pakistan, and Babar Azam in general under a lot of scrutiny.

The Pakistan captain will have to step up in the upcoming match against India to keep his side alive in the T20 World Cup 2024. Another defeat would make it really tough for Pakistan to qualify for the Super Eight round of the ICC showpiece event.

Babar Azam does not carry a very impressive T20I record against India. He has played four matches and scored 92 runs at an average of 30.66 and a strike rate of 127.77.

He scored unbeaten 68 runs in his first T20I outing against India in October 2021. He scored 10 and 14 in the next two innings before getting out for a duck in his last T20I outing against India at the MCG in T20 World Cup 2022. The same match saw Virat Kohli magic help India win a last-ball thriller.

Babar Azam has played two T20 World Cup matches against India till date. He scored 68 unbeaten runs in T20 World Cup 2021 in Dubai. The knock helped Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets. It was Pakistan's first World Cup win across formats against India. In the 2022 edition, the 29-year-old was dismissed for a duck by Arshdeep Singh.

An under-pressure Babar Azam will have to lead from the front at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York against India on Sunday. In case he fails, the average Pakistan batting unit will be under a lot of pressure.