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Matthew Hayden Makes 'BOLD' Statement On Virat Kohli-Babar Azam Comparison 

image-lmivp5rsBabar Azam and Virat Kohli enjoy a good relation off the field [X.com]

Former India captain Virat Kohli is already hailed as the greatest of all time, while current Pakistan all-format skipper Babar Azam is slowly climbing the ladder to greatness.

Both Kohli and Azam share a great camaraderie off the field and haven't often seen praising each other on various occasions, despite constantly being pitted against each other in fan debates and comparisons.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden has added fuel to the hotly-debated Kohli-Azam comparison and stated that the Pakistan batter leads statistically as opposed to Kohli if their numbers are compared. 

Azam's rise in ODI cricket has been phenomenal and has broken several records that Kohli created throughout his career, and continues to do so.

Speaking to Star Sports, the two-time World Cup-winning player further explained Azam's significance in Pakistan's batting unit, when they turn up against Sri Lanka today in a virtual semi-final clash in Asia Cup 2023.

Here's what Hayden said

"Babar Azam is a champion. He comes back from these things time and time again because that's what champions do. When you think about the statistical comparison at the same stage, Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam, Babar Azam is actually leading that shoot-out match.

So that's how significant he is to the Pakistani team lineup and I am sure that he can do it in this shoot-out against Sri Lanka. Babar is central not only because he is the captain but he is absolutely central in terms of the talent of that batting unit."

In 107 ODIs, Azam has amassed 5,380 runs at an average of 58.47, while Kohli in his first 107 50-over matches stockpiled 4,376 runs at an average of 49.16.

The former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter has worked with Azam during his stints with Pakistan as a batting consultant and mentor during ICC T20 WC 2021 and 2022 editions, respectively.