[WATCH] Babar Azam Celebrates His 29th Birthday with Teammates in Bengaluru
Babar with his teammates and members of the coaching staff in a hotel. (X.com)
Pakistan's all-format captain Babar Azam celebrated his 29th birthday in the company of his teammates on October 15 in Bengaluru ahead of their next ICC World Cup 2023 match against Australia, scheduled for October 20.
The Babar Azam-led Pakistan team arrived in Bengaluru via a chartered flight from Ahmedabad after their loss. Following their arrival in Bengaluru, the team was swiftly transported to a local hotel, where the star batter's birthday festivities commenced.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took to X (formerly Twitter) to share heartwarming footage of Babar's birthday celebration. The video captured Babar surrounded by his teammates and hotel staff as they extended their warm wishes. Babar Azam can be seen in the video cutting a specially crafted cake to mark his 29th year, with his teammates and hotel staff joining in the celebration.
"Celebrating our skipper [Babar Azam’s] birthday at the team hotel in Bengaluru," shared the PCB in the post.
Here's how Babar celebrated his birthday:
Earlier in the day, a touching video surfaced featuring pacer Hasan Ali's daughter presenting Babar Azam with a bucket of flowers on his 29th birthday. Babar graciously accepted the gift and expressed his gratitude by hugging the young girl.
Babar, who made his international debut against Zimbabwe in 2015, has undeniably transformed Pakistan's cricketing landscape. The team, once marred by batting inconsistencies, has evolved into a formidable unit under his leadership.
Recognized as one of the world's premier batsmen across all formats, Babar has consistently ranked atop the ICC ODI batting rankings. His prowess extends to Test and T20I formats, where he currently holds the fourth position.
In the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023, under Babar's leadership, the Men in Green have put up a commendable performance, securing victories in two out of their three games. They overcame the Netherlands and Sri Lanka but faced a resounding defeat against India.
On a personal note, it was a good outing for Babar as he scored his first ODI half-century against India after having two poor games with the bat at the start of the tournament.
Looking ahead, Babar and his team will lock horns with Australia in their upcoming league match on October 20, with a renewed determination to regain their winning momentum.
 "Vaibhav Tripathi")
