Babar Azam’s T20I Spot In Danger!! Likely To Be Dropped For This Series

After a disappointing home Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan will make a trip to New Zealand for the white-ball series and will hope to get the lost momentum back. But Babar Azam, the former captain of the side, might not get a chance in the squad of the shortest format.

Babar went through a tough time in the eight-team tournament. The right-hander had a smooth time in the 50-over format last year when they won three successive series in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, but could not win the tri-series at home at the start of this year.

Babar Azam’s poor Champions Trophy 2025 campaign

Babar Azam smashed 228 runs in six ODI innings last year at an average of 57 and a strike rate of 76.51, thanks to a couple of half-centuries at the best score of 73 runs. But his form has dropped significantly this year, with 149 runs in five innings at an ODI average of around 30 and a strike rate of 77.60.

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The Lahore-born received so much criticism during the opening clash of the Champions Trophy when he got 64 runs in 90 deliveries at a strike rate of 71 against New Zealand during the 321-run chase. Later, Khusdil Shah and Salman Ali Agha’s aggressive half-centuries were not enough to seal the deal for the home side.

Babar started well in their do-or-die second encounter against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, as he opened the account with a few boundaries and looked in a fluent touch but couldn’t capitalize on the start. He got an outside edge into the hands of the wicket-keeper against Hardik Pandya.

Pakistan’s last group-stage encounter ended in an abandoned clash against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Stadium.

Babar Azam to be dropped for New Zealand T20I series? Report drops bombshell

Pakistan’s T20I performance wasn’t impressive last year as they failed to cross the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 with defeats against the United States of America and India. Babar Azam gathered just 122 runs in the event in four innings at an average of 40.66 and a strike rate of 101.66, with the best score of 44.

Many fans and the pundits raised their voices against Babar’s T20I position. In 23 T20I innings last year, the veteran clubbed 738 runs at an average of 33.55 and a strike rate of 133.21, thanks to six half-centuries at the best score of 75.

Overall, in 121 T20I innings, he has smashed 4223 runs at an average of around 40 and a strike rate of 129.22. But recent reports have claimed that the selectors may look to give a break to the senior players and inject freshness into the T20I squad.

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The players, who did well in domestic cricket recently, met the PCB chairman. Babar Azam, however, hopes to get chances in the T20I side as they aim for better performance in next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Babar Azam aims for a better PSL 2025 season

In the last season of PSL, the former captain of the national side collected 569 runs in 11 innings at an average of 56.90 and a strike rate of 142.60, thanks to five fifties and one century. Babar Azam hopes to carry the same form into the ICC event.

Last year, many questioned his intent with the bat in the powerplay, which caused the Green Brigade some memorable victories against India when they failed to chase 120 runs in 20 overs at the Nassau County Stadium in New York.