Babar Azam was dismissed for 21 runs off 39 deliveries during a President’s Trophy Grade-I match at Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Afaq Afridi terminated Babar’s innings with an LBW decision on the first day of the game between OGDCL and State Bank of Pakistan.
OGDCL was in a difficult situation at the time of Babar Azam departure, as they had elected to bat first and were at 113-4. The 31-year-old was dismissed, and fans flocked to the ground to take photographs with him, attracting a significant amount of attention from the audience. Ground personnel were required to intervene and restore order prior to the resumption of play.
During the excursion, Babar made his second home appearance in seven years, a reflection of his infrequent participation in Pakistan’s premier circuit throughout his international career.
What has been Babar Azam’s performance in his domestic comeback innings to date?
Babar Azam’s return to domestic cricket commenced on September 24–27, 2026, with a match against Khan Research Laboratories in the Abbottabad President’s Trophy. In that match, he scored 12 runs from 20 balls in the first inning and only 4 in the second, resulting in a total of 16 runs in both innings.
The 21 he scored on September 30 is his highest individual score in the three innings he has played since returning to domestic cricket. Babar has scored 12, 4, and 21 runs in that order during those three innings. However, none of the three hits have demonstrated that he has established a consistent first-class rhythm.
He made his first-class debut in December 2019 while leading Central Punjab to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy victory, prior to his return. The modest returns he has achieved in Abbottabad and Islamabad are significantly contextualised by the seven years that have elapsed between those outings and his current run of matches.
Following his termination from Islamabad, what will be the fate of Babar Azam?
On Thursday, October 1, 2026, a franchise T20 league player auction will be conducted in Dubai, with Babar Azam being one of the most prominent international names involved. Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, and Faf du Plessis are among the other prominent players who are expected to be sold at the fifth season of the DP World ILT20 auction.
Also Read : Mohammad Rizwan Seeks Update on Probe, Return of Phone Held Since August 31
The fate of his franchise T20 for the forthcoming season will be determined expeditiously following his most recent domestic outing, as the auction is slated to occur the day following his dismissal from Islamabad. The availability and structure of Babar will be closely scrutinised by franchise representatives in Dubai as a result of the close proximity of the two events.
Rohit Verma is a cricket enthusiast and writer specializing in match analysis, team reviews, player form, pitch reports, and cricket predictions. With a keen interest in the details of the game, he creates informative content designed to keep readers engaged and updated with the latest cricket action.
Discussion about this post