Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli
Two international stars in the prime of their batting pinnacle have led their countries from the front. Virat Kohli was an earlier sensation as his aggression and care-free batting style and captaincy have led India over the years with victories over almost everyone in all formats. Babar Azam on the other hand, projected new hope into Pakistan cricket, setting new standards for batting. Let’s take a look at two of these icons in modern cricket.
Babar Azam dethroned Virat Kohli as the No.1 ranked international player, a feat that was held for three and a half years by the Indian captain. The two batsmen have amassed big records in all three formats of international cricket.
Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli Stats Comparison
The stats of Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli in tests, ODIs, T20Is and domestic T20 Cricket are as follows:
Babar vs Kohli in Test
In the purest form of the game, which is considered the true test of a cricketer’s talent, let’s see how Babar Azam and Virat Kohli compare:
|
Stat |
Babar Azam |
Virat Kohli |
|
Match |
37 |
97 |
|
Innings |
66 |
164 |
|
Runs |
2461 |
7801 |
|
Avg |
43.17 |
50.65 |
|
Hundred |
5 |
27 |
|
Fifty |
19 |
27 |
|
Best |
143 |
254* |
If we look at the stats closely, Babar Azam is fairly a newcomer to Test cricket as Virat Kohli has achieved test series victories in Australia and England. Kohli has dominated in runs and averages more than Azam has.
Babar vs Kohli in ODI
Babar Azam currently holds the No.1 ODI ranking batsman in ODIs, a place where he took over from Virat Kohli, who has had a recent bad run in form. Both batsmen bat at No.3, making them solid contributors to their respective top orders.
|
Stat |
Babar Azam |
Virat Kohli |
|
Match |
83 |
254 |
|
Innings |
81 |
245 |
|
Runs |
3985 |
12169 |
|
Avg |
56.92 |
59.07 |
|
SR |
89.57 |
93.17 |
|
Hundred |
14 |
43 |
|
Fifty |
17 |
62 |
|
Best |
158 |
183 |
Overall, Virat Kohli has shown longevity in ODI cricket, cracking 43 hundred, just second to the king Sachin Tendulkar. His average of 59.07 speaks volumes, despite playing more than 250 matches. Babar Azam however, has been breaking records set by Virat Kohli and is on the way to becoming one of Pakistan’s greatest ODI batsmen.
Babar vs Kohli in T20
In these numbers Kohli has a clear edge over Babar Azam, let’s see how they compare:
|
Stat |
Babar Azam |
Virat Kohli |
|
Match |
70 |
95 |
|
Innings |
65 |
87 |
|
Runs |
2534 |
3227 |
|
Avg |
46.07 |
52.04 |
|
SR |
128.82 |
137.90 |
|
Hundred |
1 |
– |
|
Fifty |
24 |
29 |
|
Best |
122 |
94* |
Virat Kohli is one of the only players in the world to average more than 50 in all three formats. As the stats show, Kohli is much better than Azam in T20Is with a healthier strike rate and a bigger average.
Babar vs Virat in T20 tournaments
The T20 domestic league numbers are close between the two most successful captains. Let’s see how they compare first:
|
Stat |
Babar Azam |
Virat Kohli |
|
Match |
58 |
207 |
|
Innings |
56 |
199 |
|
Runs |
2070 |
6283 |
|
Avg |
43.12 |
37.39 |
|
SR |
121.55 |
129.94 |
|
Hundred |
0 |
5 |
|
Fifty |
21 |
42 |
|
Best |
90* |
113 |
When comparing these two batsmen in the domestic T20 circuit- The Pakistan T20 league vs Indian T20 League, Virat Kohli has played far more matches than Babar Azam. Both the batsmen are the leading run-scorers in the history of the tournaments, but Azam has enjoyed more success in winning trophies. Kohli also has recently resigned as the captain of the Banglore franchise.
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So, Who is the better batsman, Babar or Virat?
Currently, Virat is still the better batsman in terms of all three formats and the domestic T20 league. Kohli has enjoyed success for a continuous number of years, but Babar Azam is on the way to breaking all those records. In recent form, Kohli is yet to register a century in any format for the last two years, whilst Babar is catching up. These two players are no doubt, the best batsmen for their respective countries and have also led their teams from the front.
Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli – As Captains
Let’s look at the captaincy record of the Babar & Virat here:
Captaincy in Tests
|
Stat |
Babar Azam |
Virat Kohli |
|
Match |
7 |
66 |
|
Wins |
6 |
39 |
|
Loss |
1 |
16 |
|
Draw |
– |
11 |
|
Win % |
75 |
59.09% |
Babar Azam is a fairly newly appointed Test captain for Pakistan. Virat Kohli has been a veteran since the retirement of MS Dhoni and has already become the 6th most successful Test captain ever.
Captaincy in ODIs
|
Stat |
Babar Azam |
Virat Kohli |
|
Match |
9 |
95 |
|
Wins |
4 |
65 |
|
Losses |
4 |
27 |
|
Tied |
1 |
1 |
|
No Results |
2 |
|
|
Win % |
50 |
70.43 |
Looking at the table above, Babar Azam is new to the captaincy in ODI cricket and has only a 50% winning percentage so far. Virat Kohli is superior in these stats, with a winning percentage of 70.43 after 95 matches.
Captaincy in T20s
|
Stat |
Babar Azam |
Virat Kohli |
|
Match |
37 |
50 |
|
Wins |
23 |
30 |
|
Losses |
9 |
16 |
|
Tied |
0 |
2 |
|
No Results |
5 |
2 |
|
Win % |
71.87 |
64.58 |
Babar Azam has a better captaincy record than Virat Kohli as shown in the stats above. Azam has a 71.87% winning percentage and will secure more wins than Kohli as captain in the near future. Kohli has also recently resigned as the Indian T20I captain.
Captaincy in Domestic T20 League
|
Stat |
Babar Azam |
Virat Kohli |
|
Match |
1 |
140 |
|
Wins |
0 |
64 |
|
Losses |
1 |
69 |
|
Tied |
0 |
3 |
|
No results |
0 |
4 |
|
Win % |
0 |
48.16 |
We cannot compare the captaincy record for both players as Babar Azam has only captained his domestic T20 league side once.
Both these phenomenal batsmen have come through the U19 ranks and are now respective captains for their teams. Not just this, many comparisons are made between the two No.3 batsmen, who are without a doubt, the most-talked cricketers currently. Virat Kohli has enjoyed more success as a captain overall, whilst Babar Azam has shown promise in overtaking the Indian captain with his recent form.
They both are not only among the best players and captains in the Indian t20 league but are also among the most chosen players in the fantasy cricket games for their respective matches as well.
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