Is Babar Azam giving Virat Kohli a run for his money?

India and Pakistan are considered to be one of the biggest rivals in international cricket. Fans pump up and eagerly wait for a high-tension match. Both countries sometimes come to a standstill when a match is held in all the formats. This rivalry existed for decades. Only the players change. Fans debate on ‘who will win todays match?’ by making runs or taking wickets. The current debate among cricket fans is between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. These two formidable batsmen have been competing at the international cricket level to become the best in the world. There is a rumor circling the cricket world that Babar Azam is going to give Kohli a run for his money. Is it true? Is the Green Captain of the Pakistan cricket team good enough to beat the records of the King of Cricket in India? Let us tally the performance of these two batters before making any assumptions.

Virat Kohli: The Run Machine

Virat debuted in 2008 when the Indian team is gradually becoming a giant in cricket history. Under supreme guidance from the top contemporary batsmen in the order of the Indian team, he eventually bloomed well and was crowned as the King of Cricket in India. This ‘Run Machine’ surely is a formidable batter who knows how to devastate bowlers and casually score runs for the team. Here is a list of his achievements to explain how Virat maintained his supremacy across all the cricketing formats.

1. International records

• He is the fastest player to reach the 8000, 9000, 10,000, 11,000, and 12,000 marks of scoring runs in the one-day internationals (ODIs). He is also the fastest player to reach the 20 and 30 centuries marks in ODIs.
• He is also the fastest to score 1000 runs in the T20s at the international level.
• He also has scored the highest double centuries as an international test cricket team captain. He is also the fastest to achieve 8000, 9000, and 10,000 runs in test cricket. He is also the fastest player to score 25 test centuries.
• He has a total of 19,000 international runs in his quiver and is the fastest player to achieve it.

1. Awards

• Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year: 2017, 2018.
• ICC Test Player of the Year 2018.
• ICC ODI Player of the Years 2012, 2017, 2018
• Padma Shri (India’s fourth-highest civilian award) in 2017
• Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2018

1. IPL records

• He is the fastest player to score 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 runs in IPL.
• He has scored the highest number of centuries (6) in IPL.
• He is also the record holder of the highest runs (973) scored in IPL 2016.

1. As an Indian Captain

As the captain of the Indian team, he has also made exceptional records that are inspirations for other batsmen across the world.

• He has achieved the record for most consecutive wins in test cricket (9 series).
• He has also set the record for most consecutive wins as the ODI captain of India (9).
• He also bagged the record for most test wins as a captain.
• He is also the highest double-century scorer as an Indian test captain.
• His run record is the highest among Indian captains in test cricket.

To summarize his marvelous feat as an Indian batsman and captain, Virat Kohli has given the best wins in the history of Indian cricket. He is the shining star and is yet to make many other records to set the benchmark higher for the other players in the world.

Babar Azam: The rising star of Pakistan cricket

He debuted in international cricket in 2015, 7 years after Kohli. Despite being late in the race, he has made many records. The list of his achievements will explain why Babar Azam is considered a brilliant contender for Virat Kohli.

• Fastest player to reach 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 runs in One-Day Internationals (ODIs).
• Fastest player to reach 1,000 runs in T20 Internationals (T20Is).
• He achieved the highest run score record in Pakistan in the T20I format (122 runs).
• First Pakistani player to score 1,500 runs in a calendar year in ODIs (2019).
• He was ranked as the number one batsman in the ICC ODI Rankings (as of September 2021).
• He has consistently maintained a high batting average in all three game formats.
• He was named the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team in the white-ball formats (ODIs and T20Is).
• He played a crucial role in Pakistan’s triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, where he finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer.
• He has numerous centuries and half-centuries in ODIs and T20Is, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure.
• Multiple awards and honors, including the PCB’s Player of the Year award in 2017 and 2020.

Who is better? Virat or Babar?

To be honest, Virat is in his formidable form. He has made his status from scratch and leaves his mark in all the forms of cricket. His game is at another level, and he brings the best on the field. Known for his aggression, he is a perfect soldier in the team to open and destroy the bowlers. In this aspect, Babar is comparatively new but gives good competition to Virat. If we tally the records achieved by Virat and Babar, both show remarkable growth and prospect. Virat is in his prime, whereas Babar is becoming more mature. Hence, Babar is merely following Virat’s track and is far from matching his records with the latter.