Babar Azam crumbles in chase: Stats explain what sets Virat Kohli apart from PAK great

Kohli vs Babar while chasing [Source: AFP Photo]

Babar Azam made his much-awaited T20I comeback vs South Africa after he got snubbed from the Asia Cup 2025 squad. The batter was expected to deliver the goods on a flat Rawalpindi surface, but Babar failed in a crunch run-chase and was dismissed for duck as he couldn’t help his team win the opening match of the series.

Pakistan needed 195 to win the first T20I Vs South Africa, but Babar departed after playing just 2 deliveries. Interestingly, in the last four T20I innings while chasing, Babar’s scores read 3, 3, 0,0. He is often compared with India’s Virat Kohli for a similar style of play and is hailed as the King of Pakistan.

Since Babar gets compared with Kohli, in this article, we decode how the two batters have performed for their respective nations while chasing a target in T20Is.

Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: Overall T20I stats

(Babar and Kohli overall T20I stats)

• If we start by comparing their overall T20I career, then it is clear that Kohli is miles ahead of Babar. The duo have played almost similar number of games, and have similar T20I numbers, but the difference in average and strike rate is clearly visible.
• While Kohli averages 48 in T20Is, Babar’s numbers stand at 39.46. Moreover, while Kohli has a strike rate of 137 in T20Is, Babar’s numbers look mediocre as his overall T20I strike rate is just 129.14.
• If we solely compare the overall T20I stats, then Kohli is miles clear of the Pakistan star, whose numbers have dipped in recent years.

Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: T20I stats while chasing

(Kohli and Babar in chasing)

• Kohli is known as the chasemaster across formats and rightly so. His T20I stats while chasing tells the entire story. He has played less matches than Babar while chasing and has better numbers to showcase.
• In 54 matches, he has 2013 runs, with an astonishing average of 67, and a strike rate of 136.47. Meanwhile, Babar’s T20I stats dip when it comes to chasing. His average falls to 36.46, as compared to his overall average of 39.46.
• Moreover, his overall T20I strike rate also comes down to 128.80 as Babar often crumbles under pressure in run-chase and the data tells the story.
• Kohli has more runs in chasing, has a better average, and has a better strike rate in chasing, which solidifies his status as the best chaser the game has ever seen.

Why Babar crumbles in run-chases, while Kohli soars high

• For starters, Babar’s dip has nothing to do with his technique, but it is all about his mindset while chasing. When there is scoreboard pressure, he crumbles and the batter doesn’t have multiple gears to shift in this format. Despite playing T20I cricket for nearly 10 years, he is yet to truly understand how to pace his innings.
• This is exactly what Kohli does right. He may not have the power game, but the batter knows his strengths and unlike Babar, he never really crumbles under pressure. He keeps on taking the singles, doubles, and makes sure the bowler is under pressure, and not him.
• By constantly manoeuvring the strike, Kohli puts pressure on the bowler, a trait that Babar is yet to learn despite playing the format for a decade.

Final verdict

Babar may have more runs than Kohli in T20Is, but those runs mean nothing if he cannot deliver the goods under pressure. While he excels batting first in T20Is, but when the pressure of chasing is there, the Pakistan star crumbles, and this is a trait that he should learn from Virat Kohli.

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