Hasan Ali explains why he didn't celebrate after dismissing Babar Azam

Dambulla Aura secured a victory of 50 runs against Colombo Strikers at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Saturday night in LPL 2023.

Ben McDermott's undefeated half-century, complemented by notable performances from Binura Fernando, Hasan Ali, and Noor Ahmad, led the way. The trio of Fernando, Ali, and Ahmad combined forces to capture seven wickets between them.

Hasan Ali's bowling display was particularly outstanding, as he clinched three wickets in his four-over spell, impressively conceding only 16 runs. One of his prized dismissals was that of Babar Azam.

Ali executed a skillful delivery just outside off with slight movement away. Babar aimed to play a shot over mid-off, but struggled to maintain his form due to the ball's movement. The resultant sliced drive found Sadeera Samarawickrama positioned at cover, who managed to take a reverse-cup catch. Hasan's celebration was understated yet dignified.

Hasan Ali to Babar after taking his wicket 😉😭🤣 pic.twitter.com/pQh3dcDMIh

— Taimoor Zaman (@taimoorze) August 12, 2023

In the post-match interview, Hasan Ali shared the reason behind his subdued celebration after dismissing Babar for 11 runs. He emphasized the respect he holds for Babar, referring to him as their king and skipper.

"He is our king and my skipper, so there is always a respect element and that’s why I didn’t celebrate. I think it’s a massive celebration for me to get him out in the circle. We know he can change the game anytime," Hasan said.

"He is our king" @RealHa55an on why we didn't see his iconic celebration after taking Babar Azam's wicket in #LPL2023 for @dambullaAura 🏏🇱🇰🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/K4kwvZNk3Q

— Azzam Ameen (@AzzamAmeen) August 13, 2023

Ben McDermott was named player of the match for his unbeaten 69 off 46 balls.