Former Indian wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik has reignited debate by stating that while Babar Azam is a talented batter, he cannot yet be compared to legendary Virat Kohli.
Karthik said the long-standing match-winning record of the former India captain clearly sets him apart from the Lahore-born cricketer and most other contemporary players.
“There is no debate. Virat Kohli is a legend of the game. Babar Azam is very good but still has a long way to reach where Virat is,” Karthik added.
He highlighted the statistical gap between the two, particularly in T20 World Cups, where consistency and high scoring separate a legendary player from a star showing flashes of brilliance.
Between 2012 and 2024, Virat Kohli played 35 T20 World Cup matches and scored a massive 1,292 runs, whereas Babar Azam made 615 runs in 21 matches between 2021 and 2026.
Kohli’s batting average of 58.72 is nearly double Babar’s 34.16, and his strike rate of 128.81 significantly outpaces Babar’s 111.81, demonstrating both faster scoring and superior consistency on the biggest stage.
Karthik also compared their power-hitting, noting that Kohli scored 15 half-centuries, 111 fours, and 35 sixes, while Babar managed only 5 half-centuries, 54 fours, and 9 sixes.
He emphasized that to be mentioned alongside Kohli, Babar needs to maintain such exceptional performance over a decade or more, proving that greatness requires sustained achievement rather than isolated brilliance.
Ultimately, the numbers tell a story of consistency versus flashes of excellence, suggesting that while Babar Azam is Pakistan’s shining star, Virat Kohli remains the undisputed king of T20 World Cup cricket.
