Waqar Younis likens Babar Azam and Virat Kohli stylistically

Virat Kohli in action (PC: Twitter)

Comparisons are often drawn between two modern greats of cricket – Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. Both the batsmen, who are among the greatest in contemporary cricket, are currently against each other for the second time in the on-going Asia Cup in Dubai.

Ahead of the match, which is currently ongoing, former pacer Waqar Younis opined that Babar Azam is a bit like Virat Kohli in the beginning of his innings. 

“Babar, without a doubt, is a class act, you just want to watch him all the time. He’s a bit like Virat Kohli in the beginning, playing those cover drives and cut shots. We all hope he gets runs and entertains us."

In the first two matches of the tournament, Babar has not been able to produce a significant knock. Kohli, on the other hand, has hit two back to back fifties after being out of form for a long time.

Further, Younis shared his thoughts on the return fixture between India and Pakistan. 

“It’s not going to be easy. The pitch really looks good with a bit of grass on it. He’s (Babar) got to watch out for the big innings like the Indian top-order. Once you get in, it becomes a little easier.” 

Babar Azam, captain of Pakistan in all three formats of the game, made his international debut in 2015. In 42 Tests, the batsman has 3122 runs at an average of 47.30. In ODIs, Azam has 4664 runs at an average of almost 60. In the game’s shortest format, the batsman has an average and strike rate of 44.34 and 129.30. Kohli, on the other hand, averages 49.53, 57.68 and 50.77 in Tests, ODIs and T20Is respectively. 

Also Read: Virat Kohli surpasses Rohit Sharma to register most 50+ scores in T20Is