Babar Azam leads Pakistan to T20 series victory over South Africa
Cricket
Pakistan defeat South Africa by four wickets in Lahore to win the T20 series 2–1, led by Babar Azam’s 68-run knock.
LAHORE – Pakistan secured a 2–1 series win against South Africa after defeating the visitors by four wickets in the third and final T20 International at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday night.
After winning the toss, Pakistan opted to field first. South Africa were restricted to 139 runs in 20 overs, despite a promising start from opener Reeza Hendricks, who scored 34 runs. Captain Donovan Ferreira added 29, while Dewald Brevis and Andile Simelane contributed 21 and 13 runs respectively.
Corbin Bosch remained unbeaten on 30, while Matthew Breetzke (1) and Lizaad Williams (5) were dismissed cheaply. Three South African batters failed to score.
For Pakistan, skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi shone with the ball, claiming three wickets, while Faheem Ashraf and debutant Usman Tariq took two wickets each, restricting South Africa to a below-par total on a batting-friendly surface.
In response, Pakistan chased down the 140-run target in 19 overs, finishing at 140 for 6.
Captain Babar Azam led from the front with a brilliant 68 off 47 balls, hitting nine boundaries and a six. Salman Ali Agha played a vital supporting knock of 33 off 26 deliveries, as the two shared a crucial partnership that anchored Pakistan’s innings after early setbacks.
Sahibzada Farhan scored 19 off 18 balls, while Saim Ayub fell for a duck in the first over. Haseebullah Nawaz (5) and Mohammad Nawaz (0) couldn’t contribute much, but Usama Khan (6 not out) and Faheem Ashraf (4 not out) saw Pakistan home comfortably with an over to spare.
With this win, Pakistan claimed the three-match T20 series 2–1, having earlier levelled it in Lahore with a commanding nine-wicket victory in the second T20I following South Africa’s 55-run win in the Rawalpindi opener.
The match also marked a memorable debut for Usman Tariq, who made an immediate impact with the ball on his T20I debut.
Earlier in the series, Babar Azam had surpassed Rohit Sharma’s record to become the highest run-scorer in T20 International cricket, further cementing his dominance in the shortest format.
