Babar Azam in action during PSL 2026 (Source: AFP Photos)
Babar Azam returned as captain of a side on Saturday when PSL 2026 was underway at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. There, Peshawar Zalmi were up against RawalpindiZ, and the former side was led by Babar himself.
Babar became the Peshawar Zalmi captain in December 2022 and has continued in that role as PSL 2026 is underway. Under his leadership, Peshawar registered a remarkable five-wicket victory.
Coming to chase 215, Babar gave Peshawar a flying start, which included two delightful boundaries against Mohammad Amir.
Kusal Mendis, Mohammad Haris, Michael Bracewell, Abdul Samad and Aamir Jamal chipped in with important contributions, taking their side to get past the finishing line with five balls in hand.
Shoriful Islam Opens Up On 'Captain' Babar Azam
In Babar’s tenure, Shoriful Islam, the left-arm pacer from Bangladesh, made his PSL debut on Saturday. The 24-year-old bowled impressively well, conceding 31 runs off his four overs in a high-scoring contest.
Even though Shoriful could not pick up a wicket, he was highly lauded for keeping his economy rate under eight runs an over in his first PSL outing after he was roped in by Peshawar.
Once the match was over, Shoriful had an interview with T Sports. There, he spoke about Babar Azam captaincy, and also shared what was the advice he gave him for getting the mojo right.
“I’m grateful to make my PSL debut today. When they told me in the morning that I would play, I felt really happy. I had played with Babar bhai before in the Lanka Premier League. He had seen me play and showed trust. He told me, ‘Just go and play, do what you feel comfortable with.’ He helped me a lot,” Shoriful told T Sports.
“In my first over, he told me to focus on good length. Even if boundaries came, it wasn’t a problem. He also asked me to tell him what field I needed. Recently, teams have been scoring 60-plus in the powerplay. The ball comes nicely onto the bat on this pitch, so runs happen. He encouraged me to bowl well in the powerplay. I tried to get wickets but couldn’t. That’s okay, I’ll try again next time. I usually bowl with the new ball back home, so I was used to it.”
Babar Azam Record As PSL Captain
Babar did not have a great record as a captain in the Pakistan Super League. He led two franchises – Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi across different editions, and has captained in 44 matches.
Out of 44, Peshawar only won 17 matches in the PSL under Babar Azam, while they were on the losing side on 27 occasions.
Notably, only Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, Imad Wasim and Shaheen Afridi have led more matches in PSL’s history than Babar. However, Babar is yet to win a PSL title as captain.
Also Read: Revealed- Which Former Pakistan Captains Took Legal Action Against Ahmed Shehzad?
