Pakistan batter Babar Azam finally got back in form as he struck an aggressive 46 off 32 against USA in T20 World Cup 2026. Babar initially took his time to get his eye before taking on spinner Harmeet Singh in the 13th over. The right-handed batter hammered 17 runs against Harmeet in five deliveries in the 13th over– joint second most for him in an over in T20Is.
Harmeet ended up giving away 21 runs.
Babar looked in good touch but got dismissed in the 15th over while trying to hit over long on. He miscued his stroke and was caught by Milind Kumar off Mohammad Mohsin in the deep. Milind took a good forward diving catch.
BIG WICKET FOR USA! ☝️
Looking to up the scoring rate, Babar Azam finds the fielder on the boundary!
What total will the USA restrict Pakistan to? 👀
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup | #PAKvUSA | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/97PRnnpgoP pic.twitter.com/z411ZtaYGB
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 10, 2026
Later, Sahibzada Farhan who had been doing the heavy lifting was out in the 16th over for 73 off 41.
Babar Azam today:
-First 18 balls 15 runs with zero boundaries.
-Next 14 balls 31 runs with 4 Fours and 1 Six.#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/V2YeABziOQ
— Kashif (@KashifNdmCric) February 10, 2026
Biggest issue with Babar Azam’s batting is lack of strike rotation. With such a limited gameplay in the shortest format, it’s rather shocking to see him get slotted at No. 4, which requires quick accelerators. Can’t force fit players in a team due to reputation in #T20WorldCup
— Priyank Panchal (@PKpanchal09) February 10, 2026
Babar had faced a lot of criticism for his knock of 15 off 18 against Netherlands in the first match in Colombo.
“If you’re 15 off 18 balls, you’re not just putting pressure on yourself, you’re putting pressure on the guy at the other end,” former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said.
“The guy at the other end then knows that he’s got to be the one to take up the boundary scoring. Babar needs to hit boundaries early on. He needs to get off and going, he needs two boundaries in his first six balls, otherwise the whole momentum of the game is going to change every time he goes in,” he added.
“When you are at that stage of your career, there’s baggage,” said ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri.
“There’s a weight of expectation. People expect you to go out there and deliver. Get out there (and) in your first five balls, I don’t care if you get out, but I want you to make an effort to hit a couple of boundaries. Choose your spot, get into good positions, and anticipate what the bowler is doing. You will feel a lot better, and things might change,” he added.
Also Read: ‘Baggage, Not Asset’ — Former Cricketers Rip Into Babar Azam’s Batting Form in T20 World Cup 2026
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