Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: Is The Comparison Even Justified?

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam has been in stalwarts for their country in ODIs [X]

Virat Kohli has been a stalwart of Indian cricket in the post-Sachin Tendulkar era. He has stood the test of time and established himself as one of the greatest players to have graced the game. Since his early cricketing days, Kohli has often been compared to the other greats of the game and his contemporaries. One such comparison is often drawn between Kohli and Babar Azam. 

Babar Azam has impressed everyone with his exploits at the international level. His numbers are commendable, and based on meagre stats, it is inevitable that he will be compared to one of the most consistent players in the game's history. 

However, in this article, we aim to dive deeper into the numbers and try to find out if the comparison between these two players is justifiable. 

(It is beyond the scope of this article to compare them in all three formats. So we have considered ODIs, where both Kohli and Azam have unparalleled numbers).

Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam - Overall ODI Career

Well, the numbers clearly state one fact—Babar’s career has a lot of time to mature and reach Virat Kohli’s heights. However, at present, we can say that the Pakistani superstar is on the right path based on these stats. 

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Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam - ODI performance at home

As far as consistency and efficiency in the home conditions are concerned, Babar Azam seems to be ahead. Though the sample size is less, standing at this point, let us give this to the Pakistani batter. Babar Azam takes the lead in the comparison by 1-0.

Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam - ODI performance away from home

The numbers here show that Kohli is more efficient away from home. A closer look at both records suggests that Kohli is equally effective at home and away. This round goes to the Indian maverick. The score is tied 1-1.

Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam - Comparison in successful ODI chases

The real character of the player is tested in a chase. Let us compare how these two players have performed in chases.

While Babar’s numbers are rather impressive in successful chases, they are nowhere near Kohli. The Indian star is way ahead in this comparison. The score goes in favour of Kohli 2-1.

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Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam - ODI performance as Captain

In this case, Babar Azam has impressive numbers, but Virat Kohli’s numbers are a testament to his pressure handling abilities. This round again goes to Kohli. The score is 3-1 in favour of Kohli. 

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Virat vs Babar - in ODI World Cups

The World Cup is the biggest stage for showing your character as a batter. Let us check the numbers of Kohli and Azam in World Cups.

Even in the World Cups, Kohli has proven himself. This round, too, goes to Virat Kohli, and he wins this comparison by a margin of 4-1.

The points considered in this study are taken into account to compare the two players and how they have performed under pressure and in different playing conditions. As far as this study is concerned, Virat Kohli has already proved himself as a great of the game and his career has matured well. On the other hand, Babar Azam seems to be on the right track, however, there is a long way to go before his achievements become comparable to that of Kohli.

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