Babar Azam, who led Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, said that his side’s win over archrivals India in the marquee tournament was their best moment in 2021. 

India and Pakistan opened their T20 World Cup 2021 campaigns against each other. Babar Azam and co, riding on their openers’ brilliance and Shaheen Afridi’s heroics with the ball, defeated Kohli’s men by 10 wickets. 

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However, Pakistan, after topping their Super 12 group, lost to Australia in the semi-finals of the tournament. Aaron Finch’s team then defeated New Zealand in the final to win their maiden T20 World Cup. 

Summing up the year in a podcast released by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday, Azam said that losing to Australia was most disappointing for the entire side.

“That defeat hurt me the most this year because we had been playing so well and as a combined unit,” he said.

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Babar said beating India for the first time in a World Cup match was the high point for him in 2021. Pakistan defeated India by 10 wickets in the lopsided match.

“It was a fantastic achievement for us as a team because we had not been able to beat India in the World Cups for so many years. It was our best moment of the year,” he said.

The opener added that the triumph against India lifted the profile of the team and gave the players enormous confidence which was visible in the T20 and Test wins in Bangladesh and later at home against the West Indies.

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“The biggest satisfaction was seeing young talent come through for us at crucial times. It is good we are now producing young talent,” he pointed out.

About his own achievements with the bat, Babar said personal milestones gave him joy when they helped the team win.