Pakistan’s home crowd finally got the performance they had been waiting for, as Babar Azam’s commanding innings guided the hosts to a T20I series victory over South Africa. Babar’s fluent 68 off 47 balls – his 40th fifty-plus score in T20 internationals – anchored Pakistan’s chase of 140 in Lahore, sealing a four-wicket win with an over to spare and a 2-1 series triumph.
The night began in spectacular fashion with Shaheen Afridi at his destructive best, ripping through South Africa’s top order in a sensational opening over. By the time Babar walked off to a standing ovation, the Gaddafi Stadium crowd had witnessed both their star performers in full flow.
Shaheen set the tone from the very start after Pakistan opted to bowl. He dismissed Quinton de Kock and Lhuandré Pretorius in a brilliant first over. De Kock was undone by late movement that brought the ball back into him, nicking onto the stumps, while Pretorius was caught at short fine leg off the first delivery. Shaheen nearly claimed a third wicket when a sharp in-ducker struck Dewald Brevis on the knee, but DRS showed the ball had bounced too high. South Africa crawled to 22 for 2 in the Powerplay, marking their third-lowest Powerplay score in T20I history.
Reeza Hendricks led a brief recovery with 38 off 34 balls, while contributions from Brevis and Donovan Ferreira added some momentum through the middle overs. Mohammad Nawaz, brought on after the Powerplay, was targeted by both batters and conceded 38 runs in his three overs. However, Faheem Ashraf’s double strike stalled the visitors once more, and with Bosch running out of partners, his unbeaten 30 off 23 deliveries took South Africa to 139 for 8 – a total that always looked below par once the early seam movement disappeared.
Pakistan’s reply started nervously as Saim Ayub fell for a six-ball duck, while South Africa’s new-ball pair maintained tight control. Corbin Bosch and George Linde bowled with discipline, pushing the required run rate close to eight per over by the eighth. But Babar, displaying a calm control that had eluded him for some time, kept the innings ticking with precise placement and sharp running between the wickets.
Babar soon found his rhythm, striking a series of exquisitely timed boundaries, including three off the sweep shot. Alongside Agha Salman, he constructed a steady partnership of 76 runs in 52 balls that effectively sealed the contest. Babar brought up his first T20I fifty since May 2024 with a crisp drive past cover. By the time both batters fell within five runs of each other near the conclusion, South Africa’s chances were long gone.
For Pakistan, this performance united two of their most reliable assets: Shaheen’s early breakthroughs and Babar’s composed chasecraft. After a period of inconsistency, it offered fans a reminder of the team’s familiar backbone, and the celebration at Gaddafi Stadium reflected the collective relief and joy.
Brief Scores:
South Africa: 139/8 in 20 overs (Reeza Hendricks 34; Shaheen Afridi 3-26)
Pakistan: 140/6 in 19 overs (Babar Azam 68*; Corbin Bosch 2-24)
Result: Pakistan won by 4 wickets
