Sydney Sixers Qualifies For BBL Final After Babar Azam Exits, To Battle Perth Scorchers For Trophy

Sydney Sixers have made it to yet another final with a dominant show at the SCG on Friday. The Moises Henriques-led side brushed aside any challenge from the Hobart Hurricanes to grab a mammoth 57-run win. The victory comes after Sixers lost Babar Azam, whose BBL campaign ended due to national duty.

Sixers will now face Perth Scorchers at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday. It is the 6th time the two teams will face off in the final in 15 editions. Babar will remain unavailable for the summit clash, having joined Pakistan's national team training camp.

In Azam's absence, Sixers opened with BBL veteran Daniel Hughes alongside Steve Smith. Unlike Babar, Hughes was quick off the block even if his stay was a short one. Smith meanwhile continued his red-hot form with a half-century to power his side to 199. That score was far too many for Hobart, who crumbled to a 57-run defeat the SCG.

Azam had to withdraw from the BBL after being called up to Pakistan's national team camp ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Babar is expected to be named in the final 15-man squad, with the ICC deadline for announcement being January 31.

It was Babar's first ever season in the BBL and it was not the best of outings for the former Pakistan captain. In 11 innings, Azam scored just 202 runs striking at a less than 105. In the the history of Big Bash, no player has ever scored 200 runs and scored at a strike rate lower than his.

Humiliation reached it's peak when Steve Smith denied him strike during a power surge in the league stage game against Thunder. Azam was miffed and the controversy took a few days to die down.