In 2021, Babar Azam's captaincy marked a transformative phase for the Pakistan cricket team, characterized by significant milestones and a noticeable improvement in team performance across all formats. His leadership journey saw a young squad evolve into a highly competitive unit, particularly in white-ball cricket. One of the standout achievements was the T20 World Cup campaign, where Pakistan remained undefeated in the group stage, including a historic first-ever World Cup victory over arch-rivals India. Although their run ended in the semi-finals against Australia, the team's dominant display under Babar's guidance was widely lauded. Beyond the World Cup, 2021 was a year of numerous bilateral series successes. Pakistan secured an ODI series win in South Africa after 18 years and also achieved T20I series victories in South Africa and Bangladesh. This consistent performance led to a world record for the most T20I wins in a calendar year, with 20 victories. In Test cricket, Babar's captaincy was also successful, with series wins against South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh contributing to the highest win percentage in Test cricket globally for the team that year. Individually, Babar's progress as a leader was mirrored by his personal batting prowess. He topped the run charts in the T20 World Cup and ascended to the number one spot in both the ICC ODI and T20I batsman rankings, a testament to his performance under the added pressure of captaincy. His exceptional form and leadership qualities were further recognized when he was appointed as the captain for both the ICC ODI and T20I Teams of the Year. Overall, 2021 established Babar Azam as a formidable captain, laying a strong foundation for Pakistan cricket's future.