Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: A tale of contrasting performances so far

TOI Sports Desk / Oct 20, 2023, 22:42 IST

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Cricket fans kept comparing India's Virat Kohli and Pakistan's Babar Azam. Despite their friendly off-field relationship, fans from both countries are drawn to their respective records. In the ongoing World Cup, Kohli currently holds a significant advantage over Babar, who is struggling to find form. Kohli's exceptional form makes direct comparisons between the two batting superstars lopsided.

Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: A tale of contrasting performances so far

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam

NEW DELHI: Cricket fans often engage in lively debates and comparisons of their favourite players, and in the ongoing ODI World Cup, the comparison between India's Virat Kohli and Pakistan's Babar Azam are bound to happen. While both players enjoy a cordial relationship off the field, fans from both countries can't resist comparing their records.
At the moment, Kohli has a substantial edge over his rival Babar, who is struggling to find his form in the tournament.Kohli, currently ranked World No. 8, has been in exceptional form, making any direct comparison between the two batting superstars quite lopsided.
Pakistan's captain Babar, the world's No. 1 ranked batter, has faced difficulties in the World Cup, managing only one fifty in four innings, which came in a losing effort against India when he scored 50. His other scores in the tournament have been 5 against the Netherlands, 10 against Sri Lanka, and 18 against Australia, resulting in a disappointing average of 20.75.

	Matches	Runs	HS	Ave.	SR	100s	50s
Virat Kohli	4	259	103*	129.50	90.24	1	2
Babar Azam	4	83	50	20.75	79.04	0	1

In contrast, India's run machine Kohli has been on a purple patch, notching a century and two fifties in four innings in the tournament. Kohli achieved his 48th ODI hundred with an unbeaten 103 against Bangladesh, and he contributed 85 against Australia and an unbeaten 55 against Afghanistan. His only failure to convert a start occurred in the match against Pakistan when he scored just 16 runs in Ahmedabad.
India have started their campaign with four consecutive wins, and Kohli has played a crucial role as a dependable run-scorer. He currently stands third in the list of leading run-scorers in the tournament with 259 runs at an impressive average of 129.50.

Watch: Virat Kohli gifts Pakistan captain Babar Azam a signed jersey

Meanwhile, Pakistan are also facing a challenging phase in the tournament. After two initial wins against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, they have suffered two consecutive losses to India and Australia.
For now, the comparison between Kohli and Babar clearly leans in the former’s favour, with his consistent performances boosting India's chances in the World Cup.

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TOI Sports Desk

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