Babar Azam scripted history after hammering his maiden century in the Asia Cup history in the opener against Nepal in Multan on Wednesday (August 30). Babar struck a spectacular hundred riding on 10 fours to put Pakistan in good stead from a precarious 25/2.
Not just this, Babar also became just the third Pakistani batter to crack ton in Pakistan in Asia Cup after Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan.
Pakistani batter to hit century in Pakistan in Asia Cup
Shoaib Malik 125 vs India in 2008
Younis Khan 123 vs India in 2008
Babar Azam 100* vs Nepal 2023
Babar showcased his batting prowess by securing his 19th ODI century, a crucial performance that helped Pakistan gain the upper hand over Nepal at the Multan Cricket Ground. Faced with a challenging Nepal bowling lineup, Pakistan found a savior in their captain, who chose to bat first after winning the toss and then led from the front.
Babar's fine knock of a hundred runs in just 109 balls came at a crucial moment in the 42nd over, significantly fortifying Pakistan's position in the contest. The day was especially rewarding for Babar Azam, as not only did he perform exceptionally well under pressure, but he also reached milestones that put him in the company of cricket legends.
By achieving this, Babar Azam has joined an illustrious list of ODI cricketers, including David Warner, Brian Lara, and Mahela Jayawardene, who have also scored 19 hundreds in one-day internationals. Moreover, Babar is now just a single century away from matching Pakistan's all-time record held by Saeed Anwar, who boasts 20 ODI hundreds.
Furthermore, Babar added another feather to his cap by becoming only the third Pakistani captain to score a century in Asia Cup matches, following in the footsteps of Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik.
This remarkable performance not only speaks volumes about Babar Azam's consistency and skill but also bodes well for Pakistan as they look forward to more challenging matches in the tournament.
After winning the toss Pakistan skipper Babar said, "No reason to name the XI earlier, we wanted to give confidence to our team. To be honest, being the top-ranked team brings a good kind of pressure, we'll try to enjoy and do our best."
Meanwhile, Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel said, "Everyone is very happy, it is our first game in the Asia Cup. Everyone in Nepal is really excited for this game. Most of the things here are very similar to Nepal, looks like a beautiful wicket to bat on," he said.
Pakistan Playing XI
Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf
Nepal Playing XI
Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh(w), Rohit Paudel(c), Aarif Sheikh, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulsan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi.
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