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Babar Azam’s struggles with the bat persist as he managed only 29 runs in the first ODI against Sri Lanka. This marks his 83rd consecutive international innings without a century, equaling a similar phase in Virat Kohli’s career.

Babar’s last century came against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup. With 83 innings between centuries, he and Virat Kohli now hold the joint-second spot for the longest gap between centuries in international cricket, behind Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya, who went 88 innings.

Sanath Jayasuriya – 88 innings

Virat Kohli – 83 innings

Babar Azam – 83 innings

Babar has struggled in his recent ODI outings, scoring only 83 runs in his last six innings, averaging 13.83, with a highest score of 27 in this stretch.

In the first ODI against Sri Lanka, Pakistan posted 299 runs, driven by Salman Agha’s century and Hussain Talat’s fifty. The team added 104 runs in the last 10 overs, showcasing an aggressive finish.

ODIs: 6,336 runs in 137 matches

Tests: 4,366 runs in 61 matches

T20Is: 4,302 runs in 131 matches

Centuries: 31 | Half-centuries: 104

Despite the recent slump, Babar remains one of Pakistan’s most prolific batsmen across formats.

Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and chose to field first in the opening ODI of the three-match series against Pakistan on Tuesday in Rawalpindi. Pakistan enters the series with confidence after recently defeating South Africa 2-1 in their ODI series.

This match marks the first ODI series under pacer Shaheen Afridi as Pakistan’s newly appointed captain, and he has made an impressive start to his leadership tenure. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, comes into the series in strong form, having secured a 2-0 series win over Zimbabwe in their latest ODI encounters in August.