LAHORE: Pakistan captain Babar Azam expressed heartfelt gratitude after leading his team to a T20I series victory over South Africa at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
Babar was named Player of the Match for his match-winning knock of 68 runs off 47 balls, helping Pakistan chase down a 140-run target with five balls to spare and sealing the three-match T20I series 2-1.
During his innings, Babar reached a major milestone — his 40th T20I half-century, surpassing Indian great Virat Kohli’s previous record of 39 fifties in the format.
Supporting Babar’s effort, Agha Salman contributed a steady 33 off 26 balls, while Faheem Ashraf and Usman Khan calmly guided Pakistan home after a brief middle-order wobble.
Earlier, South Africa could only manage 139/9 in their 20 overs after being asked to bat first, thanks to sharp bowling performances from Shaheen Afridi and Salman Mirza.
Following the victory, Babar took to X (formerly Twitter) to share an emotional message with fans:
“Grateful to be back doing what I love. Thankful for those who believed when it was quiet.”
After the T20I triumph, the focus now shifts to Faisalabad, where Pakistan and South Africa will face off in a three-match ODI series from November 4 to November 8. Both squads have already arrived in the city ahead of the first ODI — marking Faisalabad’s first ODI in 17 years, the last one being between Pakistan and Bangladesh in April 2008.
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