Babar Azam was acquired by the reigning champions Desert Vipers at the October 2, 2026, ILT20 auction for the forthcoming season, which is scheduled to start on November 22. Along with fellow countrymen Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, and Naseem Shah, the Pakistani batter was selected for his base price of USD 80,000. Prior to the tournament finals, which are set for December 20, 2026, the auction was held.
Phil Oliver, the CEO of Desert Vipers, described the franchise’s strategy for purchasing Babar Azam during the auction. Development Lead Jack Luffman, Head of Operations Sam Charnley, and cricket analyst Freddie Wilde made up the decision-making team at the Vipers table. He listed the particular attributes that made Babar a top choice to join the team.
Babar Azam was acquired by the reigning champions Desert Vipers
“Having Babar Azam here is a good thing. He is a highly skilled player, after all. That’s where you begin, after all. I believe we’re discussing the top scorer in the PSL and the player with the most men’s T20 international runs, and that’s not to be taken lightly. Therefore, you definitely consider what it can bring to your top order when someone like that becomes available. He was really high on our list of priorities, and you obviously need a little balance with this squad when you go into an auction,” Oliver stated, as reported by Wisden.
Babar Azam’s value to the team is demonstrated by his T20 international record. With 4,596 runs at a strike rate of 128 in 136 innings, the 31-year-old holds the record for most runs in men’s Twenty20 Internationals. With 4,380 runs in 109 innings, Babar is the top scorer in the Pakistan Super League. Due to his recent performance in 2026, he was named captain of the PSL Team of the Tournament and finished as the top run scorer with 588 runs in 11 innings, including two hundreds.
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“I believe that in T20 conditions and when playing in the United Arab Emirates, you do need a different skill set with your batting, and yes, I believe that the combination we have at the top of the order feels like we have everything covered.” So, yes, we’re happy to have him, and yes, I believe he’s a crucial pickup for us; in fact, we were thrilled to get him rather quickly,” Oliver stated.
Babar Azam’s availability for franchise cricket was further complicated by his recent international status. Since the T20 World Cup earlier in 2026, the Pakistani batter had not played in a Twenty20 International match. His transfer to Desert Vipers is a major addition to the team’s plans for the 2026–2027 season, as he was not included in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the forthcoming bilateral series against Sri Lanka.
