'Babar Azam was not ready to change his...': Karachi Kings finally reveals reason behind releasing star batter amidst PSL 2025

Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam is currently playing for the Peshawar Zalmi franchise in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 season, fulfilling the roles of both captain and senior opening batsman. But before turning to Peshawar Zalmi the celebrated Pakistani batter had a significant six-season tenure with Karachi Kings franchise from 2017 to 2022. However, a decision by the Karachi Kings led to Babar's departure, subsequently allowing Peshawar Zalmi to secure his services.

Why Babar Azam left Karachi Kings?

Meanwhile, in a recent interview, Salman Iqbal, the owner of the Karachi Kings, has finally disclosed the specific reason behind the franchise's decision to release Babar Azam. It all happened when Babar was arguably at the peak of his batting prowess, just before the start of the PSL 2023 season.

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Salman Iqbal revealed that the franchise's decision to part ways with Babar Azam stemmed from a disagreement concerning his batting position. Iqbal alleged that the Karachi Kings desired Babar to bat at the number three position in the batting order. However, the Pakistani batting star was reportedly unwilling to compromise on his established role as an opening batsman.

“We wanted him to bat at number three, but he was not ready to change his role,” Salman Iqbal said via ARY News.

"The management decided to have a complete overhaul of the squad, that's why we let Babar, Imad (Wasim), and (Mohammad) Amir go," Iqbal added.

Babar Azam has predominantly occupied the opening batsman position throughout his playing career, both in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and in international cricket for the Pakistan national team. However, his recent batting form has faced scrutiny, particularly considering his inability to deliver crucial performances for Pakistan in the ODI tri-series held at home and during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 earlier in the year.

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Furthermore, even in the ongoing PSL 2025 season, Babar Azam's performance as an opener for Peshawar Zalmi has been underwhelming, managing just a single run across two innings at a dismal average of 0.50.

Babar Azam's contribution to the Karachi Kings franchise cannot be undermined as during their solitary PSL title triumph in 2020. In that tournament, Babar amassed 473 runs in just 11 innings, and he also played a crucial role in the final, scoring a match-winning unbeaten 63 runs.