Babar Azam’s return to the shortest format ended in disappointment as he was out for a duck with two balls to spare during Pakistan’s opening T20I. three match series Against South Africa at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, October 28. The match, which marked Babar’s return after a short leave, soon turned into a nightmare for the star batsman.
Babar Azam made a comeback in T20 and was out for zero on two balls.
Babar, who came to bat at number 3, had to face a fast ball from South African fast bowler Corbin Bosch, due to which his shot went wrong and it went straight into the hands of Reeza Hendricks at cover. The dismissal left the Rawalpindi crowd stunned, as Babar was just nine runs away from breaking Rohit Sharma’s all-time T20I runs record.
Here is the video:
Babar Azam vs Pakistan🔥
Reliable player. pic.twitter.com/aZYK7WOQ5j
– ħ (@shaheenhive) 28 October 2025
His early dismissal not only dealt a blow to Pakistan’s target but also increased the disappointment of the fans who were eagerly waiting for the return of the star batsman. Earlier, in South Africa’s innings, Babar dropped a crucial catch – a moment which was to haunt Pakistan as George Linde took advantage of it with a quick cameo.
Under the leadership of Reeza Hendricks, South Africa scored runs.
batting first, South Africa made a challenging score of 194/9 in 20 overs.Courtesy a strong performance from the top order. Reeza Hendricks was the star of the show, hitting 60 off just 40 balls with brilliant strokes and calculated aggression.
All-rounder George Linde took full advantage of the early relief and added valuable runs lower down the order with 36 off 22 balls. Despite losing wickets at intervals, South Africa maintained a brisk scoring rate, ensuring that Pakistan faced a formidable target under lights.
Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to contain the Proteas’ pace, with the fast bowlers failing to find consistency in the death overs. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz was the best bowler for the host team with 3 wickets for 46 runs.
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Pakistan’s batting collapsed under pressure
Chasing the target of 195 runs, Pakistan got off to a very poor start and their innings faltered almost immediately. While opener Sahibzada Farhan’s quickfire 24 runs provided a bit of a spark, the home team’s top order quickly collapsed under the South African pressure.
Only the resilient batting of Saeem Ayub (37 off 28) and Mohammad Nawaz (36 off 20) provided any meaningful resistance. However, Pakistan never recovered from the initial damage. Bosch was the main destroyer, taking 4 for 14 in the middle and lower order. He was well supported by the left-arm spin of Linde (3 for 31) and Lizaad Williams (2 wickets), as Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 139 in 18.1 overs.
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