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From 50-Ball Fifty To 59-Ball 122 - Babar Azam's Greatest T20I Knock Shuts Talk At Centurion

Soumyajit Dutta

Babar Azam slams 59-ball 122 at Centurion [Source: @ICC/X.com]Babar Azam slams 59-ball 122 at Centurion [Source: @ICC/X.com]

Just days before the 3rd T20I between Pakistan and South Africa back in 2021, the whispers had grown loud. Pakistan captain Babar Azam, clinging to the opening spot despite calls for the explosive Fakhar Zaman, had laboured to a 50-ball fifty. It felt symbolic of a stubborn, outdated approach. The knives were out. Why persist with an anchor when the world demanded fire? 

Then, under the South African floodlights, chasing a daunting 204, Babar Azam delivered the most emphatic answer imaginable. Not with words, but with a bat that smeared 122 off a mere 59 balls.

Babar Unleashes Rage With The Bat During Daunting Chase

From the moment Babar Azam carved George Linde for consecutive boundaries in the third over, Babar entered a trance-like state of dominance. Every ball seemed destined for the middle of his willow, every field placement dissected with geometric perfection. 

Babar moved with the unhurried elegance of a Test match technician, yet the ball rocketed to the boundary with the strike rate (206.77) of the most feared power-hitter. He achieved the seemingly impossible: minimal risk, maximal reward.

The milestones tumbled almost unnoticed in the whirlwind. A 27-ball fifty? Merely a checkpoint. Sisanda Magala disappeared for six. Lizaad Williams followed suit. Beuran Hendricks, battered for 55 in his four overs, became the prime exhibit of Babar's relentless assault. Even the wily Tabraiz Shamsi, South Africa's trump card, was negotiated with calm authority, his threat neutralised without drama. 

Babar Reaches Maiden Century Off Just 49 Balls!

Reaching his maiden T20I century off just 49 balls was a landmark, but Babar barely paused. The target, not personal glory, was his focus, though the two became intertwined in his relentless march. He surged past 110, then 120, making a colossal chase feel like a regular day at the office. 

Partnered by the comparatively restrained but still rapid Mohammad Rizwan (73* off 47), Babar turned a mountain into a molehill. South Africa, shell-shocked after their own powerful batting display led by Aiden Markram's 31-ball 63, were rendered helpless spectators to a batting clinic.

Masterpiece Falls Short Of Dreamy Ending

The cruellest twist came with just seven runs needed. Babar, seemingly capable of batting forever, nicked behind. He walked off to a thunderous ovation, 122 etched beside his name. 

The man questioned for his intent and position had just played one of the all-time great T20 innings chasing away the target as well as all the doubts. The No. 1 ODI batter back then, and now No. 2, Babar Azam, arrived at the pinnacle of T20 batting with his Centurion masterpiece for the ages.