“He’s the top batsman in the world across formats” Virat Kohli praises Babar Azam ahead of Asia Cup

The cricketing world is eagerly anticipating the clash between India and Pakistan, undoubtedly one of the most intense rivalries in cricket history. The highly anticipated match is set to take place on September 2nd in Kandy as part of the Asia Cup 2023. As fans gear up for this electrifying encounter, discussions comparing and analyzing both teams have already gained momentum. Among the favorite subjects of comparison between supporters of both nations are the star batters, Virat Kohli and Babar Azam.

Despite the fervent comparisons between these two prolific batters, it’s worth noting that they share a mutual admiration for each other, a sentiment they’ve publicly expressed on multiple occasions. Recently, Virat Kohli shared the details of his first encounter with Babar during the 2019 World Cup match between India and Pakistan.

Virat Kohli (on Star) said “The first interaction I had with him [Babar] was during the 2019 [ODI] World Cup after the game in Manchester. I’ve known Imad [Wasim] since the Under-19 World Cup, and he said Babar wanted to have a chat. We sat down and spoke about the game.” 

Moreover he said “I saw a lot of regard and respect from him from day one, and that hasn’t changed. Regardless of the fact he’s probably the top batsman in the world across formats, and rightly so. Performs so consistently and I’ve always enjoyed watching him play,”

It’s undeniable that Kohli and Babar are often pitted against each other, being the standout performers for their respective teams. Kohli faced a challenging phase between 2020 and 2022, during which Babar surged ahead of him in the batting rankings across all three formats. In 2021, the Pakistan skipper claimed the top spot in the ODI batting rankings, displacing Kohli from his longstanding position.