5 days ago
Virat Kohli dragged into picture for Babar Azam's downfall; ex-Pakistan star says 'it's unfair and adds extra pressure'
Babar Azam has been time and again described as Pakistan's answer to India's Virat Kohli. Despite making his international debut six years after that of former India captain, the Kohli vs Babar narrative seems to have a telling impact on the Pakistan star after his prolonged lean patch in international cricket.
Known as the poster boy of Pakistan cricket, Babar has gone more than 70 innings without an international hundred, with his last ton coming against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup. Babar's latest slump came against West Indies in three ODIs with just 56 runs, including a duck.
This is similar to what Kohli suffered a few years back when the Indian stalwart went without a three-figure score from 2020 to 2022. Former Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad, the comparisons with Kohli affected Babar's form in international cricket.
'When everything was going well, you were running campaigns comparing players. Now that the performances are not coming, you are saying 'don't compare two players'. Why not?" Shehzad, who played 153 matches for Pakistan was quoted as saying to GeoSuper.
Shehzad went on to even state that Kohli's comparison shouldn't be made with two-time World Cup-winning former captain MS Dhoni. "Virat Kohli's comparison cannot be made with anyone in the world. He is a legend of this generation, a role model.
"You cannot compare him even with MS Dhoni. Dhoni may have been a great captain, but as a batter, cricketer, and athlete, Kohli stands alone. No one should be compared with anyone because it's unfair and it adds extra pressure, which we are now seeing on Babar Azam,' said Shehzad.
In 2025, Babar played just 14 international matches. In three Tests, the right-hander scored 184 runs while he managed 334 in 11 ODIs. He is yet to play a T20I in this year. Interestingly, Babar's teammate Salman Ali Agha mustered most runs (857) for Pakistan in 2025.
Following the ODI series against West Indies, Pakistan will next be seen in the T20I Tri-nation series in United Arab Emirates, also involving Afghanistan. The tri-series will also act as a preparation for all the three teams ahead of Asia Cup 2025 which starts on September 9. Although the squads for both the tri-series and the Asia Cup 2025 are yet to be announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board, Babar's is likely to be included.
