Ahmed Shehzad, a former Pakistani cricketer, thinks we are putting too much pressure on Babar Azam by constantly comparing him with Virat Kohli.
Babar has been struggling for some time now, especially in the 50-over format. Although he is a traditional batsman, he hasn’t been scoring much in the white-ball format. The former Pakistan captain was recently dropped from the T20I team and has also been in a slump in Test cricket, with only 590 runs at 23.6 in 25 innings since 2023. Even in ODIs which is his best format, Babar’s average is only 30.36 this year.
Pakistan has produced great cricketers and Babar Azam is one of the best of recent times. Because Babar has performed on the big stage, people compare him with Virat Kohli. While Kohli has made a name for himself in cricket history, Babar’s prolonged slump is becoming a worry.
Shehzad called Kohli a great legend of the modern game and told fans not to compare him with other players. He said, When things were going well, you were comparing players. Now that he’s not doing well, you’re saying, ‘don’t compare them.’ Why not? Virat Kohli is incomparable. He’s a legend and a role model.
He added, You can’t even compare him to MS Dhoni. Dhoni might have been a great captain, but Kohli is in a league of his own as a batsman, cricketer and athlete. No one should be compared to anyone because it’s unfair and puts extra pressure on them which we are seeing with Babar Azam.
Kohli has made his own legacy and with 51 ODI centuries he is ahead of Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli who now only plays ODIs has an average of 58 with 14,181 runs in 302 matches.
Babar’s form in Pakistan’s recent series against West Indies was concerning. He hasn’t scored a century in the last 72 innings which is the longest drought among active cricketers. In three ODIs against West Indies, Babar scored 47, 0, 9.
Read Also:- Naseem Shah & Abbas Afridi Join St Kitts Patriots for CPL 2025
Jayden Seales dismissed him twice in those three games and is causing problems for the Pakistani batting lineup with his pace and accuracy.
After winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli retired from T20 internationals and Test cricket. His future in ODIs especially for the 2027 World Cup is uncertain. He might need to play in domestic List-A tournaments to be in the running for the ODI squad. Some reports say he might retire after the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia.
BCCI will consider Kohli if he keeps playing in these domestic games. But Kohli might not play the entire Vijay Hazare Trophy as he has other commitments. He last played for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy where he did well.
