Babar Azam silenced the critics and fans who always question his strike rate by smashing four sixes in an over in Pakistan's successful run-chase against Ireland in the third and final T20I played in Dublin on Tuesday.
Babar turned up the ante in the 14th over when he hit a hat-trick of sixes against off-spinner Ben White before playing out a dot ball and smashing the fifth delivery for the fourth maximum.
The Pakistan captain thus, became only the 3rd Pakistani batter to hit 4 sixes in an over in T20 cricket.
The 29-year-old, with his first six in the over, also broke Virat Kohli's record for the most 50-plus scores in T20I cricket.
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Pakistani fans went mad on social media over Babar's six-hitting spree with some even checking about former player Basit Ali, who had questioned the skipper's strike rate in the shortest format.
Basit Ali had recently challenged Babar to hit three sixes in a row against top teams in T20I cricket. "If Babar Azam hits three straight sixes against top teams, not against the likes of the USA or Ireland, but against top teams, I will shut down my YouTube channel," Ali had said.
Babar, Rizwan hit form ahead of T20 World Cup
He brought up his 39th fifty in just 31 balls before going on to score 75 off 42 balls in Pakistan's 6-wicket win to clinch the series 2-1.
Babar received usual support from Mohammad Rizwan during their 139-run partnership for the third wicket. Rizwan scored 54, 28th half-century in the shortest format for Pakistan.
Babar and Rizwan thus, became the first batting pair to amass 3000 runs as a pair and score 10 century partnerships in T20Is.
This was the 17th time Babar was involved in a 100-run partnership in T20Is - the most by anyone. Rizwan has achieved the feat 13 times so far, out of which 10 have been with Babar.
