Babar Azam smashed a scintillating 52-ball century for Peshawar Zalmi in their PSL 2026 clash against Quetta Gladiators on Sunday, April 19, at the National Stadium in Karachi. It was his third PSL hundred, drawing him level with Rilee Rossouw, Usman Khan and Kamran Akmal for the most centuries in the tournament’s history.
It was also Babar’s fastest PSL century, but what truly stood out was the sheer control he exhibited—he played just one dot ball in the entire innings. On the final delivery of the 14th over, he ducked under a bouncer from Alzarri Joseph; apart from that, he scored off every single ball, powering Zalmi to a formidable 255 for three.
Remarkably, no batter in T20 history has faced 50 or more deliveries in an innings and registered one or fewer dot balls, making Babar’s knock even more extraordinary. In fact, he reached his fifty off 31 balls without facing a single dot ball. Babar also scored a T20 century after 67 innings.
Babar has often faced criticism for his measured approach in T20 cricket, particularly on batting-friendly surfaces. His inability to consistently accelerate and questions around his strike rate have frequently come under scrutiny. There has also been a perception that he hasn’t quite adapted his game to meet the evolving demands of the format.
He endured a difficult T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, with Pakistan failing to qualify for the semi-finals. But on Sunday, Babar flipped the narrative—looking positive from the outset and playing with a freedom that underlined his intent.
HOW BABAR AZAM TOOK DOWN QUETTA
From the outset, he looked intent on keeping the scoreboard moving, rarely allowing the bowlers to settle. His innings was built on exceptional strike rotation, crisp placement and relentless running between the wickets, ensuring there was almost no pressure of dot balls.
What stood out was how Babar blended classical strokeplay with modern T20 intent. He pierced gaps with ease, punching through covers, working the angles square of the wicket and using soft hands to turn ones into twos.
As the innings progressed, he shifted gears seamlessly. Against spin, he used his feet confidently, clearing the ropes with slog sweeps and straight hits, while against pace, he was equally assured, dispatching anything in his arc with authority.
The acceleration in the latter half was particularly striking as he took on the spin duo of Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed. Babar stitched together a 135-run stand for the second wicket with Kusal Mendis, laying the perfect platform for Zalmi. He also equalled Virat Kohli’s record for the most century partnerships in T20s (47), underlining the consistency of his brilliance.
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