Asia Cup 2025: Saim Ayub sets this unwanted record
What's the story
Pakistan opener Saim Ayub endured a poor run in the recently concluded Men's T20 Asia Cup. Despite being one of the most talented openers, Ayub averaged just 5.28 with the bat in the tournament. This is now the second-lowest average for a top-order batter (No. 1-3) in a T20I series, as per Cricbuzz. His horrific run included four ducks.
Underperformance
Second-lowest average by a top-order player
Ayub's poor run in the 2025 Asia Cup 2025 perturbed their top order. He managed to score just 37 runs in seven innings, averaging a mere 5.28. As per Cricbuzz, this is the second-lowest average by any top-order player in a T20I series between Full Member nations. The only player with a lower average is Zimbabwe's Regis Chakabva, who averaged five during the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup.
Performance breakdown
His journey through the Asia Cup 2025
Ayub was in a downward spiral during the entire 2025 T20 Asia Cup. He opened the innings initially before getting demoted in the batting order. Despite these changes, nothing seemed to work for him. His scores included three ducks in back-to-back matches (versus Oman, India, and UAE). He recorded another duck against Bangladesh. Ayub scored 21 and 14 in the other two games against India.
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Effective with the ball
Despite his low scores, Ayub was effective with his spin bowling. The off-spinner took eight wickets from seven matches at an average of 16.00 in the 2025 T20 Asia Cup. His economy rate reads 6.40.
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Over 800 runs in T20I cricket
In 48 T20Is since making his debut in 2023, Ayub has racked up 853 runs at an average of 19.38. His strike rate in the format reads 134.11. As of now, Ayub has recorded four half-centuries in T20I cricket.