Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli: The Best Batsman In The World In All Formats
Babar Azam and Virat Kohli (Twitter)
Virat Kohli, the chase master and ex-skipper of the Indian cricket team, comfortably held the number 1 ODI ranking and remained unbeatable by any other player during the golden period between 2017 to 2021. However, only after 1,258 days did King Kohli's tenancy meet with a significant competitor who ended his long reign and claimed the spot himself; this was Pakistan's blue-eyed boy, Babar Azam. This marked a notable shift in the cricket world.
The debate between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli has been popular since Babar's debut in international cricket in 2015. This is because Babar had demonstrated many of the same skills and abilities as Kohli during his time in the Under-19s. Despite not winning the U-19 world title as Kohli did, Babar had shown great potential.
When Babar played his first international match for Pakistan, Kohli had already played in over 150 One-Day Internationals and hit over 20 centuries. However, fast-forwarding to 2022, Babar has broken Kohli's record to become the fastest player to score 2,000 ODI runs, achieving this feat in only 47 matches compared to Kohli's 56 matches.
Both these players have been outstanding in their respective teams and hailed as modern-day greats.
Virat Kohli (AP News)
Virat Kohli is often regarded as one of the best batsmen of this generation. Kohli has an average of over 50 in all game formats, which is a testament to his consistency and skill. He has amassed over 12,000 runs in ODI and 7,500 in Test cricket. Kohli also holds the record for the fastest player to reach 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, and 11,000 runs in ODI cricket. Additionally, he has an excellent conversion rate of converting fifties to hundreds. His ability to perform consistently under pressure undeniably makes him one of the best batsmen in the world.
Babar Azam (Twitter)
On the other hand, Babar Azam is a relatively new player compared to Kohli, but he has shown tremendous potential as a batsman. He has an impressive average of over 50 in ODI cricket and over 45 in T20Is. Babar has scored over 6,000 runs in international cricket, including 17 centuries, and has shown great performance consistency. He is also a technically sound batsman with a wide range of shots. Moreover, Babar's ability to adapt to different conditions and situations makes him a valuable asset to the Pakistan cricket team.
Regarding their respective captaincy records, Kohli has a much better record than Babar. Kohli has won more matches as captain than any other Indian captain, leading the team to series wins in Australia and South Africa. In contrast, Babar has been recently appointed as the captain of the Pakistan cricket team and is still in the early stages of his captaincy career. However, he has shown signs of being an effective leader, and how he will perform remains to be seen.
In terms of their style of play, Kohli is known for his aggressive approach, while Babar is known for his elegance and timing. Kohli is unafraid to take risks and has a strike rate of over 90 in ODI cricket. Moreover, he is known for his ability to score runs quickly and set the tempo of the innings. In contrast, Babar is more of a classical batsman who relies on his technique and timing to score runs. He is excellent at rotating the strike and has a wide range of shots in his arsenal.
Another factor differentiating the two batsmen is their ability to perform in different conditions. Kohli has an excellent record in both home and away conditions, while Babar's record is relatively better in home conditions. Kohli has scored runs against top-quality bowlers on different surfaces and has shown his ability to adapt to different conditions. On the other hand, Babar has yet to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with in overseas conditions.
In conclusion, it is difficult to determine who the better batsman is between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam as both have different strengths and weaknesses. Kohli has a better record of statistics, captaincy, and performance in different conditions, while Babar has shown tremendous potential as a technically sound batsman. Both Virat and Babar are great ambassadors of the sport and will continue to dominate world cricket for years to come.
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