Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have not been included in the Asia Cup 2025 squad. This is a clear indication that the team management has made some changes.
Babar’s last T20I match was in December 2024; since then, his performance has not been consistent in the T20 format, with a decline in both strike rate and the number of runs scored.
An ICC review stated that Babar scored just 68 runs in 6 innings during the Asia Cup, indicating that his ability to cope with pressure in big tournaments has declined slightly.
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Why can this absence affect Pakistan?
If early wickets don’t fall, Pakistan will have to face pressure from the start, as the consistent Babar-Rizwan partnership used to give the team a strong start, especially in the powerplay.
Without Babar, Pakistan will have to hope for an aggressive start from the new openers, but there may be a lack of experience. These new players will have more responsibility to perform against big teams.
India has a strong bowling attack and a good chance of taking wickets in the middle-overs, and Babar’s absence will reduce that wicket’s chances as he often shouldered the responsibility of scoring runs in big matches like India.
India’s main bowlers and those who benefit from Babar’s absence
1. Jasprit Bumrah (fast bowler): Babar Azam has scored at a strike rate of just 82 against Bumrah in T20Is so far. His absence means that Bumrah may have more success in the early overs against new and inexperienced batsmen.
2. Arshdeep Singh (left-arm pacer): Arshdeep is effective in both the powerplay and death overs. Babar usually played patiently against Arshdeep, but now, new batsmen may struggle with his swing and yorkers.
3. Axar Patel (spin all-rounder): Babar often played spin well, giving balance to the team. Now Axar’s bowling can put pressure on Pakistan’s middle order, especially when the run rate needs to increase.
Babar Azam — T20I Career Stats
| Category | Stat |
|---|---|
| Matches | 128 |
| Innings | 121 |
| Not Outs | 15 |
| Total Runs | 4,223 |
| Highest Score | 122 |
| Batting Average | 39.83 |
| Strike Rate | 129.22 |
| Hundreds (100s) | 3 |
| Fifties (50s) | 36 |
| Fours (4s) | 447 |
| Sixes (6s) | 73 |
Babar Azam’s T20I Stats vs India
| Category | Stat |
|---|---|
| Matches | 4 |
| Total Runs | 92 |
| Highest Score | 68* (not out) |
| Batting Average | 30.66 |
| Strike Rate | 127.77 |
Pakistan Squad in Asia Cup:
Mohammad Haris, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Agha Salman, Khushdil Shah, Saim Ayub, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem
