It was a night to forget for Pakistan’s superstar batter Babar Azam, who endured a double dose of misfortune during the first T20I against South Africa in Rawalpindi.
First came a rare fielding lapse, a dropped catch that gifted four runs, and later, a nightmare return with the bat as he was dismissed for a two-ball duck. Once the backbone of Pakistan’s batting lineup, Babar found himself under immense social media scrutiny as fans and analysts weighed in on his recent struggles. The incident unfolded during Shaheen Afridi’s over when George Linde lofted one toward long-on. Positioned perfectly under the ball, Babar misjudged the trajectory and spilled what looked like a regulation catch, the ball rolling away to the boundary. The crowd in Rawalpindi fell silent for a moment before social media lit up with reactions.
Duck on T20I return intensifies pressure on Babar
If the dropped catch stung, what followed hurt even more. Walking in at No. 3, Babar faced Corbin Bosch’s sharp delivery that seamed slightly and caught the outer half of his bat, flying straight to Reeza Hendricks at cover. The Pakistan captain was gone for a duck, his return to the T20I fold ending before it truly began.
Fans immediately reignited the endless Kohli vs Babar debate, arguing that comparisons were unfair given Kohli’s remarkable ability to bounce back from lean patches. Pakistan, chasing 195, collapsed early, and Babar’s wicket left their chase in tatters. Head coach Mike Hesson’s earlier comments about Babar needing to improve his strike rate and gameplay against spin resurfaced online, amplifying the criticism. Despite the setbacks, the 30-year-old remains determined to turn things around, with his next opportunity coming in the second T20I on October 31 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. The match might have slipped away, but for Babar, the bigger battle now lies in silencing the noise, regaining confidence, and proving once again why he’s still Pakistan’s most prolific modern-day batter.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Rizwan had a better PSL than babar, has a better average than babar, has better six hitting ability than babar, has more T20i MOTMs than babar, best wk battwr in pakistan but guess who makes a comeback in the team.
— Adeel (@AdeelGhani9) October 28, 2025
Babar Azam is a generational player he performs once in a generation
— Moiz Khan (@moizgetalife) October 28, 2025
Why elite players of pakistan looks so unfit.
Both Babar & Naseem seems like has put so much weight.
U can’t expect to perform at highest level with this kind of fitness.#PAKvSA pic.twitter.com/XZ32DDI96c— Raazi (@Crick_logist) October 28, 2025
Babar Azam#PAKvSA pic.twitter.com/gnFneXX3MC
— Raja Babu (@GaurangBhardwa1) October 28, 2025
Babar Azam can’t even bat against South African C team. Credit to Aqib Javed for exposing him in every single format.
Unreal Downfall….!#PAKvSA— Cric mate (@Cricknight07) October 28, 2025
What does babar azam need to do to get back to his run making ways ?
– I feel he has a mental block now with all the pressure he has gone through
He needs someone who can put his mindset back in calm mode
– in reality only babar can tell what’s going on with him #PAKvSA pic.twitter.com/uROPxiaBcL
— kashif farid (@kash8778) October 29, 2025
Babar Azam walked in like a king… and walked out like a ghost. 0 #PAKvsSA pic.twitter.com/9Jym3pBr6B
— RAFA (@RafaDayal) October 28, 2025
Duck For Babar Azam on his T20I Return!#PAKvsSA pic.twitter.com/uMq8oaH0Of
— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) October 28, 2025
Belive me paijaan Babar is superstar. He can pull crowd better than kohli #PakistanCricket #PAKvsSA pic.twitter.com/BXJdfN8ceZ
— Pooja_Varma (@Sanskaari_girl) October 28, 2025
@DrNaumanNiaz One must admit there is a certain elegance and class even in the way Babar gets out for a duck. Never seen this quality in any other Pakistani batter.
— WaheedKhankisaafseedhibaat (@WaheedKhancc) October 28, 2025
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