In their first game of the season, the Warriors won the toss and chose to field. Gudakesh Motie shone with the ball, claiming three wickets as Fakhar Zaman, Imad Wasim, and Kofi James failed to build on their starts.
Chasing 169 runs, the openers struggled, but Shai Hope’s 41 provided some stability before Azam Khan came in to bat. Unfortunately, Azam’s attempt to chase the target ended in an unusual and comical dismissal.
Having scored nine runs off eight balls, Azam tried to slog a back-of-a-length delivery from Shamar Springer, aiming across the line.
The delivery took a steep bounce, beating the outside edge of his bat and striking his helmet on the third ball of the twelfth over. Azam’s late reaction led to a lack of control, and he inadvertently deflected the ball into the stumps with his bat.
What a Shot By Pakistani Power Hitter Azam khan 🤚😉😉#AzamKhan #CPL2024 #CPL #Russia #PAKvBAN #KhurramShahzad #NaseemShah #ShaheenAfridi #BabarAzam𓃵 pic.twitter.com/x0TusFXLUS
— Naeem Nasir Qureshi 🥀 (@nnqdawar33) September 1, 2024
Writhing in pain, the wicketkeeper-batter left the field, and soon after, social media erupted, humorously attributing the rare dismissal to Azam’s fitness.