In an interview on Wisden’s The Scoop, Oliver said Babar had always been a top priority for them even prior to the auction. He noted that it’s extremely difficult to overlook the top run-scorer in men’s T20 Internationals and also in the Pakistan Super League, and pointed out how well Babar adapts to the conditions in the UAE, which suit his playing style perfectly.
The defending champions, Desert Vipers, acquired Babar Azam at the ILT20 auction on October 2, 2026, for the upcoming season, which kicks off on November 22. The Pakistan batter was selected at his base price of USD 80,000, along with teammates Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, and Naseem Shah. The auction occurred before the tournament finals, set for December 20, 2026.
Desert Vipers CEO Phil Oliver outlined the franchise’s strategy for securing Babar during the auction. The Vipers’ decision-making team comprised Development Lead Jack Luffman, Head of Operations Sam Charnley, and cricket analyst Freddie Wilde. He listed the particular attributes that made Babar a top target for the franchise.
Wisden quotes Oliver saying, “It’s good to have Babar with us. I mean, he is a player of high pedigree. I mean, that’s what you start with. I think we’re talking about the player with the most men’s T20 international runs, top scorer in the PSL, and that’s not to be sniffed at. So, when someone like that is available, you absolutely look at what it can bring to your top order. You obviously need a bit of a balance with this squad when you go into an auction and he was very much high on our list of priorities.”
Since the T20 World Cup earlier this year, Babar, aged 31, has not represented Pakistan in the shortest format of the game. He was also not selected in their T20I squad for the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, he is still the top run-scorer in men’s T20 Internationals with 4,596 runs from 136 innings at a strike rate of 128; leads the PSL standings with 4,380 runs in 109 innings; and ended the year as the highest run-scorer with 588 runs in 11 innings.
Oliver further added, “I think T20 conditions, playing the UAE, you do need a different skill set in some cases with your batting and yeah, I think the combination we’ve got at the top of the order, it feels like we’ve got all bases covered. So yeah, we’re very pleased to have him and yeah, I think a key pickup for us, really that we were delighted to secure him pretty early on.”
Babar’s recent international standing provided context for his availability in franchise cricket. The Pakistan batter had not played in any T20I matches since the T20 World Cup earlier in 2026. He was also left out of Pakistan’s T20I squad for the upcoming bilateral series against Sri Lanka, making his signing with Desert Vipers a major boost to the franchise’s strategy for the 2026-27 season.
