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Photograph credit: Official ILT20 website

Desert VipersCaptain

Babar Azam

Batter · Pakistan

Born

15 October 1994, Lahore

Batting

Right-handed

Bowling

Right-arm off break

Shirt

56

196Test top score, v Australia 2022

158ODI top score, v England 2021

122T20I top score, v South Africa 2021

Babar Azam is a Pakistani batter and the captain of Desert Vipers in ILT20 Season 5. Born in Lahore, he is one of the leading batters of his generation: a former Pakistan captain in all three formats, a former world number one in ODI batting, and the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year for 2022. This is his first ILT20 season.

Babar Azam Biography: Quick Facts

Early life

Babar Azam was born on 15 October 1994 in Lahore, in the city's old Walled City, and grew up in a modest household where cricket was a constant presence. His father, Azam Siddique, worked to support the family, and Babar has spoken about a childhood in which money was short. As a boy he spent time as a ball picker at matches in Lahore, watching international cricket from the boundary edge. Cricket ran in the family: his cousins Kamran, Umar and Adnan Akmal had already played for Pakistan, and their example pulled him toward the game. He came through Pakistan's junior ranks and captained the national side at the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, the step that put him on the road to senior cricket.

Family and personal life

Babar's father is Azam Siddique. He has two brothers, Safeer and Faisal, and a sister, Fariya. His cousins Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal and Adnan Akmal all played international cricket for Pakistan, so family gatherings always had cricket in them. His mother's name has not been publicly shared. Babar has not publicly confirmed any marriage, and he keeps his personal life largely private. Stories linking him to other public figures have circulated online, but none has been confirmed by him, and this page does not repeat them.

Domestic and franchise career

Babar came through Pakistan's domestic system before the franchise leagues took him around the world. In the Pakistan Super League he began with Islamabad United in 2016, then played several seasons for Karachi Kings, winning the 2020 title and being named Player of the Tournament, and then moved to Peshawar Zalmi, whom he captains in 2026. He is the PSL's all-time leading run-scorer and the first batter to 4,000 PSL runs. He signed as a marquee player for Sydney Sixers for the 2025-26 Big Bash League season. The ILT20 is his newest stop: Desert Vipers picked him for Season 5, his first season in the league, and made him captain. The reported fee was USD 80,000, via auction.

International career

Babar's senior Pakistan career began with his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Lahore on 31 May 2015, when he scored a fifty on debut. His T20I debut followed against England in September 2016, and his Test debut came against West Indies in Dubai in October 2016, where he made 69 in the first innings of a day-night match. He went on to captain Pakistan in all three formats and led the side to the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup, before stepping down from the all-format captaincy after the 2023 ODI World Cup. He first reached number one in the ICC ODI batting rankings on 1 April 2021 and held the top spot for roughly two years. He was part of the Pakistan side that won the 2017 Champions Trophy.

Records and achievements

Babar's record is built on speed and spread. His biggest verified marks are:

• Fastest batter from Asia to 10,000 international runs, in 228 innings.
• ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year for 2022.
• ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year in both 2021 and 2022, the only Pakistani to win it.
• Fastest to 5,000 ODI runs.
• Three T20I hundreds, the most by any Pakistan batter.
• Sitara-i-Imtiaz in March 2023, the youngest cricketer to receive it.

Babar Azam's Net Worth and Salary

Babar's net worth is not a confirmed number. Media reports in 2026 put it at an estimated USD 5–12 million, so this page uses that range rather than a single figure. The figure is an estimate, not a confirmed number. His income comes from a Pakistan Cricket Board central contract, international match fees, and franchise deals. Reported league earnings include around USD 220,000 a season with Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL, a marquee deal worth AUD 420,000 with Sydney Sixers for the 2025-26 Big Bash, and the reported USD 80,000 fee from Desert Vipers for ILT20 Season 5. Endorsement deals with major brands, including Pepsi and Puma, add to his earnings.

Babar Azam in ILT20 Season 5

Desert Vipers signed Babar Azam for ILT20 Season 5, his first season in the league, and named him captain. The reported fee was USD 80,000, via auction. He leads a 22-player squad into the season, which runs from 21 November to 20 December 2026. All ten league fixtures for Desert Vipers are below.

No Season 5 match has been played yet, so there are no Season 5 numbers for this player. This section will be updated as matches are played.

Career stats

Career totals: 354 matches, 15,993 runs, 32 hundreds, 111 fifties. Statistics as of September 2026.

Conclusion

Babar Azam's career is defined by balance: 32 international hundreds spread across all three formats, a former world number one ODI ranking, and the game's biggest individual award for 2022. His move to Desert Vipers as captain makes his first ILT20 season the next chapter of that career, and this page will be updated as the season is played.

More coverage: the Desert Vipers squad, the Season 5 schedule and the full players index.