The 22-year-old brought up his first ODI ton in 53 balls, as he hammered the ball to all corners and finished 113 not out.
Babar has become just the fifth player from Pakistan to get to the milestone, joining the likes of Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Javed Miandad in the list.
Salman Ali Agha top scored for Pakistan as they snatched a last-over victory over South Africa on Tuesday in an exciting finish to the first of three One Day Internationals at Faisalabad.
Former captain Babar Azam and pacer Naseem Shah have been recalled to Pakistan's T20 squad for the upcoming home assignment against South Africa and a tri-Series involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe next month.
After being put into bat, Sri Lanka started brightly as the openers put up a 51-run stand before Pathum Nissanka was run out attempting a risky third run.
South Africa scored 270-2 off 40.1 overs, easily chasing down Pakistan's 269-9 from their 50 overs.
India's mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy retained his place among the world's top T20I bowlers, sitting just ahead of New Zealand's Jacob Duffy in the latest ICC Men's Rankings update.
Babar Azam, playing his first T20 international since December last year, perished for a duck as Pakistan suffered a 55-run thrashing against South Africa, in the first T20 International.
Young India opener Abhishek Sharma and spinner Varun Chakravarthy continued to occupy the top spots among batters and bowlers in the latest ICC Men's T20 Players' Rankings issued on Wednesday.
Pakistan made short work of an inexperienced UAE batting unit by winning their last group league game by 41 runs in Dubai on Wednesday.
For the second straight day, Pakistan unearthed a new match-winner, a timely boost with the Asia Cup barely 10 days away.
Abhishek Sharma reached 931 ratings point, which is 12 more than the previous best rating of 919 attained by England's Dawid Malan in 2020.
Pakistan beat Bangladesh, set up first ever Asia Cup final date against India
Sunday's final can be called the ultimate stress-test day for every cricket fan's heartbeat.
Pakistan overcame a jittery start on a rain-hit opening day of the first test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi as Saim Ayub and Saud Shakeel scored fighting half-centuries
Gill's struggle against spin has been glaring and former India cricketer-turned commentator Akash Chopra has suggested a bold change to overcome his recent slump: bat deep and not be overly aggressive with his approach.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India gear up for yet another demolition act of Pakistan in what promises to be an intense and tense Super 4 face-off of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
Salman Ali Agha will lead the team for the upcoming UAE tri-series and the subsequent Asia Cup also to be played in the UAE, the International Cricket Council announced on Sunday.
India and Bangladesh have two points each with Suryakumar Yadav's men leading the standings owing to a superior net run rate. Sri Lanka and Pakistan occupy the third and fourth spots respectively.
If Pakistan execute their game plan and play good cricket, they can beat any team, including India in the Asia Cup, captain Salman Agha said.
IMAGES of the Asia Cup Final played between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday
Mohammad Haris struck a fluent half-century as a dominant Pakistan thrashed minnows Oman by 93 runs, in a Group A Asia Cup match.
The architects of the win were Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, who blasted a 105-run opening stand that left Pakistan's bowlers gasping.
I don't remember how I felt when Pakistan lost to India in New York: Saim Ayub
Pakistan are currently in the second spot with two points, ahead of UAE (2 points) on net run rate.
Chase and Greaves took a particular liking to Pakistan's part-timers of Saim Ayub and Salman Agha, with the pair each conceding 33 runs from their spell as the West Indies squared the series at 1-1 ahead of the final match at the same ground on Tuesday.
Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
With stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan sidelined, it will be a test of character for the Salman Agha-led Pakistan side.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav closely inspected the pitch of the Dubai International Stadium on the eve of their highly-debated Asia Cup clash against Pakistan.
The result extends a difficult run for the West Indies, who were coming off a clean sweep of defeats across formats against Australia earlier in the week.
Despite over-utilising his craft, Bumrah chased shadows of his past self and returned with figures of 0/45.
'I think he is going to carry Yuvraj's legacy forward. He is a phenomenal talent.'
This year's roster sees ten players each placed in Categories B, C, and D. Notably, no player has been selected for Category A in this cycle, the PCB said in a statement.
Abhishek Sharma was brutal and beautiful in equal measure during his scintillating 74 as India made a tricky chase look comfortable, winning an ill-tempered Super 4 contest of the Asia Cup against Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday.
Firing the first salvo ahead of high profile Asia Cup clash against arch-rivals India, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson on Thursday termed left-arm spinner Mohammed Nawaz as the "best spinner in world cricket".
Latif slammed Pakistan's middle order for their timid approach, accusing them of 'giving up' when the game demanded urgency.
Players from the other teams who could push the Men in Blue to the limit.
Spinners of both sides will have a significant role to play considering that Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the only specialist pacers who will be seen in action in Sunday's match.
There are many Indian fans in Dubai, who, as a mark of protest, have decided to give this match a miss.
'We have to forget this game because we have one the day after tomorrow. We're looking forward to delivering a better performance there.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances