Babar Azam’s return to the shortest format ended in disappointment as he was dismissed for a two-ball duck in Pakistan’s t20i opener Three match series The match that marked Babar’s comeback after a short spell turned into a nightmare for the star fruit in South Africa at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, October 28.
Babar Azam departs for a two-ball duck in the T20I comeback
Coming in to bat at No. 3, Babar faced a furious delivery from South African pacer Corbin Bosch, mistimed it at cover again into the hands of Reeza Hendricks. The dismissed Ravkar stunned the ravypindi crowd as Babar’s all-time T20I record was Rohit Sharma’s only nine.
Here is the video:
Babar Azam vs Pakistan
Believable player. pic.twitter.com/azyk7woq5j
– ħ (@shaheenhive) October 28, 2025
His early exit not only overshadowed Pakistan’s chase but also added to the frustration of fans who were eagerly waiting for the return of the star fruit. Before that, in South Africa’s innings, Babar dropped an important catch – back to Pakistan as George Linde went to capitalize with a Quickfire Cameo.
South Africa runs the pack with Reeza Hendricks leading the charge
batting first, South Africa posted a challenging 194/9 in the 20scourtesy of a strong top-order performance. Reeza Hendricks was the star of the show, with a 40-ball 60 run, laced with graceful strokes and graced with calculated aggression.
All-rounder George Linde took full advantage of his early humiliation and was dropped down the order with 36 off 22 balls. Despite losing wickets at intervals, South Africa scored quickly, ensuring Pakistan faced a steep target under the lights.
Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to contain the Proteas’ momentum, with the pacers unable to find consistency at the death. The hosts, left-arm spinner Muhammad Nawaz picked the bowlers with 3/46.
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Pakistan’s batting collapses under pressure
Pakistan’s chase of 195 got off to a disastrous start and their innings dwindled almost immediately. Farhzada’s dawn Farher’s Brisk 24 provided a brief spark as the home team’s top order quickly buckled under South African pressure.
Only Saim Ayub (37 off 28) and Mohammad Nawaz (36 off 20) are the only ones to show any meaningful resistance. But Pakistan never recovers from early damage. Bosch toppled through his middle and lower order with exceptional figures of 4-for-14, a head-destroyer. At 18.1, Pakistan were joined for 139 in 18.1 overs by Lizaad Williams (2 wickets).
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