Why Babar Azam Will Lead Pakistan To Victory In Champions Trophy 2025?

Muskaan Bhatt∙ Updated: Jan 7 2025, 11:15 AM

Pakistan's Babar Azam (Source: AP Photos and @SalmanAsif2007/X.com)Pakistan's Babar Azam (Source: AP Photos and @SalmanAsif2007/X.com)

One of Pakistan's best batters, Babar Azam has had topsy-turvy time in the last two years. From being at a career high and drawing comparisons to legendary Virat Kohli, the star opener faced demotion, sacking and eventually preferred to step down as the captain of their national team. But one of the things that remain common between Kohli and Babar in the present times, is that there comebacks are greater than setbacks. 

Despite having a challenging phase, Babar's recent uprise has caught the eye and made us think could the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 be an opportunity to reclaim his lost status?

The ICC mega-event is slated to take place in hybrid model as both Pakistan and United Arab Emirates will host the tournament. While some might be discontent with this decision, however, from Babar Azam's perspective it's a silver lining as he has exploited both the conditions well. Whether its batting on the Pakistani pitches or smashing tons in the Dubai stadium, the 30-year-old batter boasts strong records at both the venues.

Babar To Be An Important Player For Pakistan In CT 2025

From 2015 to 2018, Babar Azam made a remarkable impact in UAE, playing 20 ODIs, scoring 1,096 runs at an impressive average of 64.47. His strike rate of 85.15 and 1,287 balls faced reflect his ability to build innings and maintain pressure. With five centuries and five half-centuries, Babar displayed exceptional consistency and technique. 

Meanwhile, highlighting Babar Azam's dominance at home, he has played 22 ODIs and amassed 1,471 runs at a stellar average of 73.55. With 7 centuries and 8 half-centuries, Babar has consistently delivered match-winning performances for his team. 

Babar Azam's Stats

Venue
Matches
Runs
50s/100s
Average
United Arab Emirates2010965/564.47
Pakistan221,4718/773.55

While these are overall stats since his debut, his recent performances and form also back him to perform well in the highly awaited tournament. Babar, who was the third-highest run-getter for Pakistan in the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa, slammed two fifty plus scores and gathered 148 runs from three games. While the right-hander had a bad outing against Australia, he performed decently well for his team in the 2023 ODI World Cup where he made 320 runs from nine games slamming five half centuries.

Looking at his recent performance graph, it is on the rise. Having said that, it is understandable that without the captaincy pressure on him, Babar is expected to run a riot against the opposition especially against their arch-rivals India in the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Pakistan's Strongest XI For Champions Trophy 2025

Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohd. Rizwan (c) (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed