Babar Azam In Asia Cup: How Has Pakistan Ace Performed In The Marquee Event

Babar Azam could be included in PAK Asia Cup squad [Source: AFP]

Babar Azam has been one of the most prolific performers for Pakistan across formats over the years. The ace right-handed batter has scripted numerous wins for the Men in Green, particularly in white-ball cricket, performing admirably in ODIs as well as T20Is. 

Despite registering incredible numbers in T20Is, Babar Azam recently suffered an ouster from the T20I side due to a dip in his form. However, Fakhar Zaman's hamstring injury has brought Babar back into the mix, with several reports claiming his potential T20I comeback for the Asia Cup. 

As the stylish batter braces himself for the challenge, let's see how he has performed in the Asia Cup over the years. 

Babar Azam's Record In Asia Cup

Babar Azam has featured in three Asia Cup editions in 2018, 2022 and 2023. While the tournament was played in the ODI format in 2018 and 2023, the T20 format was followed in 2022. 

(Babar Azam's stats in Asia Cup tournament)

As mentioned above, Babar Azam had a forgettable season in the 2022 Asia Cup, the only T20 edition he has played. Although he recorded a decent average of 31.20 in 2018, his strike rate of 70.91 shows that he struggled to get going on tricky UAE decks. 

Babar Azam's Asia Cup numbers in 2023 are excellent, as he struck 207 runs at an average of 51.75 and a strike rate of 97.64. However, upon digging deeper, we find that these numbers are inflated due to his incredible innings against Nepal's depleted bowling attack in a game which saw him add 151 runs to his ODI runs tally. 

Final Verdict

Therefore, Babar Azam hasn't been a great performer in the Asia Cup. His two fifty-plus scores have come against Afghanistan and Nepal, while he has been a failure against higher-ranked teams in the competition. 

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