Babar Azam, Pakistan’s captain, ascended to the top of an esteemed list after his team secured a remarkable victory over Ireland, making him the most successful T20I skipper with 45 wins to his credit – the highest in men’s T20I cricket history.
Pakistan’s squad successfully chased down Ireland’s challenging total of 193/7 with over three overs to spare, thanks to a formidable 140-run partnership between Mohammad Rizwan (75*) and Fakhar Zaman (78), which propelled Babar Azam to a record-breaking 45th T20I triumph.
Despite being among the top cricketing nations, Babar holds a five-win lead over second-placed Aaron Finch (40), surpassing Uganda’s skipper Brian Masaba (44) for the most wins by a captain in all men’s T20Is.
While Babar leads the chart, Eoin Morgan, England’s captain during their 2019 World Cup victory, holds third place with 42 victories. MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma share the fourth spot with 41 wins each. Former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan also shares the third position with Morgan, boasting 42 victories as captain in this format.
Although Babar himself didn’t contribute much with the bat against Ireland, getting out early in the second over, Rizwan and Fakhar’s stellar performance leveled the series for Pakistan.
Fakhar showcased his prowess by hitting six sixes, while Rizwan provided steady support, with their partnership rapidly amassing 140 runs and taking the game out of Ireland’s reach.
Even though Fakhar departed in the 15th over, Azam Khan’s unbeaten 30 runs off just 10 deliveries ensured Pakistan’s victory.
The third and final match of the three-game series is scheduled to take place in Dublin on Tuesday.