Yet another ODI, yet another disappointment for Babar Azam. The Pakistan batter’s struggles continued as he failed to make an impact once again, this time against Sri Lanka, extending his miserable run of form. After a string of low scores in the recent three-match ODI series against South Africa, fans had hoped for a turnaround, but Babar once again fell short of expectations.
With Saim Ayub dismissed early, Babar joined Fakhar Zaman at the crease but looked far from his fluent best. He laboured his way to 29 off 50 deliveries before Wanindu Hasaranga produced a dream googly to castle him on the 51st ball. The dismissal not only continued his poor form but also placed him in an unwanted statistical bracket.
Babar Azam equals Virat Kohli’s unwanted international record
Babar’s latest failure marked his 83rd consecutive international innings without a century, equalling Virat Kohli’s longest drought across formats. Kohli had ended his barren run in his 84th innings — a milestone Babar will now hope to emulate in the next ODI against Sri Lanka.
The 29-year-old last reached three figures in August 2023, when he struck a century against Nepal during the Asia Cup. Since then, the once-prolific batter has struggled to convert starts and has looked out of rhythm across formats.
In 2024 and 2025, Babar’s dip in form has been steep. His ODI average has plummeted to around 27, and his prolonged struggles have seen him removed from captaincy in all formats. To make matters worse, India’s Shubman Gill overtook him to claim the No. 1 spot in ICC’s ODI batting rankings, underlining the extent of Babar’s decline.
