The scoreboard never lies, but it often hides the truth. In today’s crunch T20 World Cup 2026 clash against the USA in Colombo, Babar Azam walked off with 46 runs next to his name. On paper, it looks solid. A strike rate of 143. A crucial partnership. But for anyone watching closely, this innings wasn’t a masterclass. It was a struggle masked by one brilliant over.
While Sahibzada Farhan played match-winning cricket at one end, Babar fought his own demons at the other. And when he finally looked set to dominate, he gifted his wicket away.
The “Anchor” That Almost Sank the Ship
Pakistan started flying. The openers smashed 54 runs in the Powerplay. Saim Ayub fell to a reckless shot, but the platform was set. Enter Babar Azam.
Instead of capitalising on the 10-run-per-over start, “King” Babar hit the brakes. He scored just 6 runs off his first 9 balls. The momentum vanished. While Farhan raced to a blistering 50 off 27 balls, Babar scratched around, mistiming spinners and finding fielders.
It wasn’t just slow… it was contagious. The pressure was transferred to Farhan, forcing the aggressor to take even more risks. At the halfway mark, Babar was striking at under 100, and the “Babar needs 30 balls to get set” narrative was playing out in real-time.
The Illusion of Form: The 13th Over
Then, the switch flipped. Or so it seemed.
In the 13th over, Babar decided he had enough. He took on Harmeet Singh, smashing him for a massive six and back-to-back fours. He plundered 16 runs in 4 balls. Suddenly, his strike rate jumped, and the “King” looked back.
Fans rejoiced. The edits were being made. It felt like the rust had finally fallen off. But one good over doesn’t fix a broken rhythm. It just hides it for five minutes.
Just as the death overs approached, the exact time a set batter must cash in, Babar vanished.
Facing Mohammad Mohsin, he dispatched a poor full toss for four. He looked imperious. The very next ball, he tried to clear the ring and failed miserably. He didn’t hit it into the stands… he barely cleared the pitch. An excellent diving catch by Milind Kumar at long on ended Babar’s stay at 46 off 32.
He did the hard work. He survived the tough phase. But when it was time to hurt the opposition, he left the job half-done.
Our T20 World Cup Analysis
Sahibzada Farhan carried this partnership. He took the risks, kept the run rate high, and allowed Babar the luxury of time. Babar’s 46 will look good in the records, but in modern T20 cricket, consuming 32 balls to not finish the game is a luxury Pakistan cannot afford.
Against a team like the USA, you might get away with it. Against India or Australia, especially in a T20 World Cup, this approach loses you the match before the second innings even begins.
