He's put a prolonged slump behind him by seeking to be a better version of himself rather than trying to be someone else.

Exactly two months ago, Pakistan axed Babar Azam from their final T20 World Cup game against Sri Lanka in a bid to infuse their batting with more firepower to swing the net run rate their way and take them to the semi-finals. The move made tactical sense, considering Babar's poor run in that tournament. But it was also a damning indictment of the batter with the most runs in the format. More crucially, it underscored Pakistan's lack of trust in their country's most celebrated batter.

Since then there have been doubts over his commitment towards the game after speculation that he pulled out of the National T20 Cup. The PCB included his name in a Lahore team a day after announcing the squads only to retract it later, fuelling this speculation. It was eventually settled when national selector Aaqib Javed revealed that Babar was undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, though the nature of injury was not revealed.

Pakistan's selectors and coaches take PSL performances seriously - sometimes to their own detriment when they are accused of fast-tracking players on the basis of one season's performanmces. And for a player like Babar, performances here can keep the doors of international cricket open. Which he has done this season, in which he's now scored 588 runs at an average of 84.00 and a strike rate of 146.26. Babar has been the PSL's most prolific batter, the only one to have breached 4,000 runs in the tournament's 11-year history. Three times - in 2021, 2023 and 2024 - he has been the leading run scorer. But he has never amassed this many runs before. Only Fakhar Zaman has scored 588 runs in a season, in 2022, but he needed three more innings than Babar for it. He has also never averaged this much and scored as rapidly in a PSL. He has hit 15 sixes in 10 matches this season - the most in a PSL edition for him - and his 60 fours are four short of his season best.

This is significant for a player who managed only 288 runs last season - his lowest since the inaugural edition in 2016. It also happened to be the same season Peshawar Zalmi failed to make it to the playoffs for the first time, raising questions about his value and impact.

Zalmi are now the first team into the 2026 final, after routing Islamabad United by 70 runs in the Qualifier on Tuesday. Sunday will mark their first appearance in a Sky exchange final since 2021. It will also mark the first instance of Babar leading a team into the PSL final.

It is difficult to not to look at this as a full-circle moment for him, especially considering that his second century of the season - off 57 balls - took them there. It is only the second time in skyexch history that a batter has scored two centuries in a season and he is now tied with Usman Khan on the list of most centuries in the tournament's history. It was Babar's second century in four matches, his previous having taken 67 innings and two years.

"There are ups and downs in life and things do not play out the way you want them to," he said after the win. "Every day is different. I try to focus on what is in my control, which is my hard work and training. I have tried to improve myself by staying within my game. Time teaches you, as the elders say, and I have learnt with time. You get stronger mentally and feel good about yourself when you rise after a fall."

It is an important insight into Babar's season that he has sought to be a better version of himself rather than trying to be a different batter altogether. Go back to the last ball of the third over, when Babar had already struck Richard Gleeson for two boundaries. He sent a length ball drifting on his pads sailing over the square leg boundary with the snap of his wrists. Think back to the last ball that Babar played in Pakistan's colours - a similar ball from a similar length, from Jamie Overton, off which he was bowled attempting an ugly hack through midwicket.

Babar has never been a power-hitter, relying instead on his ability to time the ball or play it late to open up the entire ground. But his sluggish scoring rates have often brought his limited power-hitting abilities under the scanner and, of late, Babar had seemed determined to prove that he was capable of hitting the ball out of the park. As he did against USA and India at the T20 World Cup when he looked to drag length and fullish balls to midwicket.

"There comes a time in life when you feel what you are doing is right but that is not the case and you need to accept that," Babar said. "You have to go back to the things that worked for you before and having discussions help you gain clarity. There were many things going on but I do not want to go into those details. I try to keep my mind cool, focus on cricket, and try to win matches. Many people here complain that I don't do that.

"I take motivation from my past performances and prepare myself by analysing my [batting] videos. Motivation, however, is short-term. You need to stick to your routines for long-term results. You do discuss with fellow players or coaches, who you have a comfort level with, and I have had these discussions. I have realised where I was going wrong by looking at my videos and the coaches have helped me through it. At times minor adjustments can end up altering your entire movement or playing style."

Zalmi head coach Otis Gibson told him to be the player who had earned recognition around the world by blocking out the noise. Misbah-ul-Haq, who has worked with Babar throughout this PSL as Zalmi's batting coach, provided more insight into how Babar did it.