Beating India in T20-World Cup among my best memories- Babar:Former Pak captain recalls 2021 Dubai win, calls IND-PAK rivalry ‘next level’

Pakistan batter Babar Azam has said that the 2021 T20 World Cup win against India remains one of the standout moments of his career. Babar called the 10-wicket victory in Dubai “one of the best memories I have”. On 24 October 2021, Babar became the first Pakistan captain to defeat India in a World Cup match. Pakistan went on to reach the final that year, eventually losing to Australia. Also Read | Shahzad mimics Hardik’s pose as Pakistan win Hong Kong Sixes ‘Beating India means a lot to me’ “Beating India means a lot to me. For me, it was one of the best memories. First time, as a Pakistan captain, I defeated India in a World Cup,” Babar said in a conversation with former England captain Kevin Pietersen on The Switch YouTube show. He described the India-Pakistan rivalry as “next level” and “massive”, saying the intensity around the contest is unlike any other. The 31-year-old, who was also part of Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy-winning side, said his long-term goal remains winning another ICC title. “I want to win an ICC trophy. We were in finals but we lost. That is why I am working hard on my fitness and skills. My body is acting differently now, but I am still sharp,” he said. Babar recently ended an 807-day century drought with his 20th ODI hundred in the series against Sri Lanka. He thanked fans for their support during a difficult phase, admitting he had struggled to convert starts into substantial scores. “The support I got from fans everywhere in Pakistan gave me a huge boost. They never deserted me in my hard times. I got starts in the previous series but I couldn’t convert them into big runs,” he said. Also Read | ICC fines Babar Azam for hitting stumps in frustration India dominate Pakistan in World Cup head-to-heads Although an India-Pakistan match is sometimes dubbed as the “mother of all contests” with a tense political relationship between the two countries adding spice to the cricket encounter, the actual cricket record reveals pretty much a one-sided story with India winning 15 of the 16 World Cup fixtures- across T20I and ODI formats. Babar-led Pakistan won their only World Cup match over India to date in 2021, a result which eventually led to India’s group-stage exit from the ICC tournament that year.