Virat Kohli and Babar Azam shared a brief yet significant exchange before Pakistan began their innings.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said his team is looking at the World Cup as a whole and not just the marquee clash against arch-rivals India.
In the four Tests played during the year, Babar scored 338 runs at an average of 67.6.
Pakistan beat World XI by 20 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-match series, at Gaddafi stadium, in Lahore, on Tuesday.
The Pakistan opener was out for 39 off 34 balls, including five fours, caught by David Warner off Adam Zampa's bowling in the tenth over, in the second T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia.
Glenn Maxwell levelled with names like compatriots David Warner, Aaron Finch, the Indian legend Rohit Sharma and England's Jos Buttler, becoming the player with the joint-fourth-highest centuries in T20 cricket.
Aaqib Javed said that India skipper Virat Kohli should look to follow Babar Azam
Zaheer, who scored 100 first class centuries in his career said that Babar needed to sit down and talk to his seniors.
Pakistan's T20 captain, Salman Ali Agha, remains optimistic despite his team's 1-4 series loss to New Zealand, believing the new faces tried out in the matches will eventually come through.
Pakistan captain Muhammad Rizwan and Babar Azam have been dropped from the T20 squad for the upcoming five-match series in New Zealand.
Under the shimmering floodlights and in front of a roaring partisan crowd, Virat Kohli unleashed his latest masterclass, blasting a 42-ball 70 to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a sensational 11-run win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Shaheen Afridi also missed the last two Tests against England in October.
Pakistan's Olympics gold-winning javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem's Instagram account has been blocked in India owing to a "legal request" in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Former Pakistan captain blamed frequent changes in the team's management, coaches, and players for the chaotic situation.
When searched for his account, YouTube displays an error message.
Babar Azam was named as Pakistan ODI captain by the Cricket Board. The right-handed Azam, who has been one of the world's leading batsmen across formats over the last year, replaced Sarfaraz Ahmed
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has criticized Babar Azam for focusing on personal milestones over team success, expressing concerns about Pakistan's preparations ahead of their crucial Champions Trophy clash against India. He believes Pakistan's recent struggles, including a disappointing Tri-Nation Series campaign and a 1-1 draw against the West Indies in a home Test series, point to a lack of readiness for the India encounter.
The source, however, disputed Fakhar's tone and said one of the newly inducted selectors, former captain Azhar Ali had spoken to length with Babar on Saturday and explained to him the decision to rest him for the two Tests.
The kitty has become popular with viewers and has gone viral with one particular cheeky comment from Lahori Guy who tweeted: 'Black Cat contributed more in Karachi Stadium than Babar Azam.'
Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are the first opening pair in the history of T20 cricket to chase 200 or more twice.
Virat Kohli became the first Indian to complete 13,000 runs in T20 cricket, during the IPL 2025 match against MI on Monday.
Wasim Akram backs Babar Azam to take over Test captaincy, urges him to be assertive
'No one told me if I was part of the future plans.'
Babar Azam scored a second successive hundred to guide Pakistan to a dominant 59-run win over the West Indies in the second One-day International in Sharjah.
'Unfortunately, we tend to crack under pressure and lose close matches as we have seen in recent games.'
The 53-year-old said he had immense respect for some of the Indian players of his generation but never showed it on the field.
Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam was conspicuous by his absence from the team's training and there was no clarity on his availability for the Champions Trophy clash against India in Dubai on Sunday, even as the country's cricket board chief Mohsin Naqvi urged the side to win "at any cost".
Ravichandran Ashwin said on Tuesday that star Pakistan batter Babar Azam "should not be mentioned in the same line" as Indian icon Virat Kohli
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya added another milestone to his name, completing 200 international wickets
Pakistan selectors want Babar Azam to open in CT, hope star batter will emulate Sachin Tendulkar
Fascinating numbers from the India-Pakistan iconic cricket rivalry.
Former captain Babar Azam, pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah returned to the Pakistan team for the upcoming white-ball series in Australia.
India vice-captain Shubman Gill dethroned Pakistan's Babar Azam from the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI Rankings for batters on the back of his strong showing against England in the recent home series.
Ben Sears picked up five wickets as New Zealand outclassed Pakistan by 43 runs in the third and final ODI, to register a 3-0 series whitewash.
Abbas also acknowledged the consistency displayed by India across formats and said the Rohit Sharma-led team will be a strong contender for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
The Pakistan cricket team left for Dubai for the marquee Champions Trophy clash against arch-rivals India without opener Fakhar Zaman, who suffered an injury during the opening match against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19. The left-handed batter has been replaced by Imam-ul-Haq in Pakistan's squad.
Pakistan and Bangladesh will face off in a dead rubber match in the Champions Trophy on Thursday, both teams looking to salvage some pride after disappointing tournament performances. Both teams have suffered heavy defeats to New Zealand.
'There was no need for him to interfere with the progress of the ball.'
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to investigate a case involving a UK-based Pakistani agent, Mughiz Ahmad Shearachiikh, who has been suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for breaching its anti-corruption code. Shearachiikh and his company, International Cricketers Association (ICA), had signed several centrally contracted Pakistani players last year.
Seniors Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah are set to make a comeback to Pakistan's ODI team for the tour of South Africa.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances