Babar Azam’s half-century powers Sydney Sixers to convincing match victory

After a forgettable debut outing, star batter Babar Azam bounced back strongly on Thursday, guiding Sydney Sixers to a win over Melbourne Renegades with an unbeaten 58 in the 18th match of Big Bash League 15 at Australia’s Docklands Stadium.

Put in to bat first, the Renegades managed 164 for 9 in their 20 overs, with opener Josh Brown providing the main spark through a brisk 43 off 19 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes.

Babar Azam played anchor and Josh Davies contributed with a 15-ball 34* as Sydney Sixers chased down 165 to make it 10 straight wins over Melbourne Renegades in the BBL 👏 https://t.co/9ap9ax5fGK pic.twitter.com/8nekX6W0Mr

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 1, 2026

• Babar Azam returned to form with an unbeaten 58 off 46 balls, guiding Sydney Sixers to victory.

• Melbourne Renegades posted 164-9 in 20 overs; Josh Brown starred with 43 off 19 balls.

• Jake Fraser-McGurk scored 38, Hassan Khan added 39, while Mohammad Rizwan struggled for just 6 runs.

Middle-order batter Jake Fraser-McGurk contributed a sensible 38 off 29 balls with four boundaries, while Hassan Khan added 39 off 29 deliveries, featuring one four and three sixes.

Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan’s struggles in the tournament continued as he was dismissed cheaply for six off 10 balls.

For the Sixers, Sean Abbott spearheaded the bowling attack, claiming three wickets for 16 runs in four overs. Jack Edwards, Ben Dwarshuis, and Hayden Kerr supported well, picking up two wickets each.

Chasing 165, the Sydney Sixers reached the target in 19.1 overs, losing four wickets. Babar Azam anchored the innings with a balanced unbeaten 58 off 46 deliveries, which included four boundaries and a six.

Opening batter Daniel Hughes also impressed with 30 off 23 balls, including two fours and a six, while Joel Davies played a crucial unbeaten cameo of 34 off 15 balls, featuring three fours and two sixes.

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The victory propels the Sydney Sixers to sixth place on the BBL 15 points table, with two wins and three defeats from five games, accumulating four points with a net run-rate of 0.202.

Melbourne Renegades remain seventh with one win and three losses from four games, holding two points and a net run-rate of -0.879.