Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: Decoding the Ultimate King of the Modern Generation

India vs Pakistan is a battle that has always been heated and when it comes to cricket, it gets to another stage where the fans, players, coaches and everyone gets involved. Similarly, the ongoing debate between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam has captured the internet's attention due to their distinct playing styles and leadership during challenging moments. Both are often hailed as "Kings" of the game, but this article will guide you in determining who truly deserves the throne.

Early Life and Domestic Career

The modern generation of cricket has seen Virat Kohli and Babar Azam dominating the batting charts with their aesthetic shots, skilful wrists and some high valued drives. However, before getting into the comparisons, let’s have a look at their early careers and their domestic performances.

Virat Kohli’s Domestic Career Statistics

Hailing from Delhi, India, Virat Kohli is a right-handed batsman who made his debut for the Indian team in 2008 against Sri Lanka. Starting off aggressively in his career, Virat Kohli was regarded as the next big thing in Indian cricket during his early days of the domestic circuit. Moreover, after winning the Under-19 World Cup as Captain in 2008, Virat Kohli gained the limelight and his domestic performances allowed him to step into the National team.

(Virat Kohli’s Domestic Performance)

Babar Azam Domestic Career Statistics

Hailing from a small town in Lahore, Pakistan, Babar Azam has established himself as one of the finest batsmen from a country renowned for producing world-class fast bowlers. A right-handed batsman, Babar first gained attention as a ball boy during a match in Lahore. His connections with his cousins, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal, paved the way for his success in the domestic circuit, ultimately leading to his debut for the Pakistan national team in 2015.

(Babar Azam’s Domestic Performance)

Comparing the Batting Technique

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are both right-handed batsmen with proper techniques suitable for a number 3 position player. Their gameplay along with a deep analysis of their batting technique is listed below:

Virat Kohli’s Technique

• Aggression: Virat Kohli is known for his aggressive nature and is a player full of energy who has the ability to take up the opponent team easily.
• Strength: Virat Kohli loves to play cover drive along with the flick shot because of his flexible wrists. Furthermore, his range of shots allows him to play spinners well.
• Weakness: Virat Kohli has often faced difficulties while facing the balls outside off-stump and struggled in the 2014 England Tour and in 2020 New Zealand’s tour.

Babar Azam’s Technique

• Upright Position: With a solid technique and upright position, Babar Azam has the ability to find gaps and handle the game according to the situation.
• Strength: Babar Azam loves to have a clean swing of the bat and get on the top of the ball while playing the shots. His ability to hold his position allows him to play cover drives easily.
• Weakness: Babar Azam has often struggled with in-swinging deliveries, finding it difficult to accurately judge their movement.

Career Statistics

Ruling all three formats for their respective teams, Virat Kohli and Babar Azam have been the epitome of success. Here is a detailed look at the runs and other statistics of both their careers.

Virat Kohli’s Career Statistics

After starting his career in 2008, Virat Kohli has established himself as a pillar of the Indian Cricket team in the batting department and managed to reach the number 1 ranking in all formats. In the ODI Formats, he is the batsman with the most Centuries while in the T20 Format, he is ranked second as the highest run getter. In the 599 innings played by Virat Kohli, he has amassed 26942 runs for the Indian team.

(Virat Kohli’s Career Stats)

Babar Azam Career Statistics

In 2015, Babar Azam earned his place in the Pakistan team, and from that moment, his career has only soared. His exceptional performance in the shorter formats quickly propelled him to the top of the rankings in both ODI and Test cricket. Babar Azam has swiftly become a household name, achieving remarkable success in a relatively short time. From the 326 innings played, Babar Azam has scored 13794 runs for the team.

(Babar Azam Career Stats)

ICC Awards and Tournaments

Both players have been a part of their respective teams in the different ICC Tournaments played over the years. Furthermore, the list of all the ICC Tournaments and Awards won by Virat Kohli and Babar Azam have been listed below:

Virat Kohli’s Awards

Over his 16-year career, Virat Kohli has participated in numerous ICC tournaments, playing a pivotal role in many of India's victories. He was part of the winning teams in the 2011 ODI World Cup, the 2013 Champions Trophy, and the 2024 T20 World Cup, securing titles across all limited-overs formats. When it comes to ICC Awards, Virat Kohli stands at the top, holding the record for the most awards by any player, with a total of 10.

Babar Azam’s Awards

After making his debut in 2015, Babar Azam got the first chance to enter the ICC Tournament in 2017 when Pakistan lifted the trophy by defeating India in the Finals. Besides this, Babar Azam performed exceptionally well in the 2019 World Cup and it was the year 2022 when he finally made his presence felt by winning 3 ICC Awards for the Pakistan team.

Performance in IPL and PSL

In the Domestic T20 Leagues, Virat Kohli has been a remarkable player in the IPL while Babar Azam has been a marquee player in the PSL. Here is a brief comparison of their statistics and achievements.

Virat Kohli in IPL

Since 2008, Virat Kohli has been associated with the Royal Challengers Bangalore as the owners managed to pick him in the draft of the maiden season of the Indian Premier League.

• Royal Challengers Bangalore (2008- Present): In the 17 seasons of the IPL, Virat Kohli has been the highest run scorer with 8004 runs in 252 innings at an average of 38.67. However, he has yet to win his first IPL Title but has been a valuable addition to the team. Some of his records are mentioned below:

• Virat Kohli has hit most Hundreds in IPL (8).
• Virat Kohli has scored most runs in a season (973 runs in 2016).
• Virat Kohli has won the Orange Cap twice (2016 and 2024)

Babar Azam in PSL

Babar Azam became a regular member of the Pakistan Super League in 2016 and now, he is the highest run-scorer of the tournament.

1. Islamabad United (2016-2016):For the first season of the PSL, Islamabad United picked Babar Azam through a draft. However, he was able to score just 15 runs from the 2 matches played and was later released.
2. Karachi Kings(2017-2022):For the next 6 seasons, Karachi Kings picked Babar Azam through the draft and he managed to score 2398 runs in 66 innings at an average of 43.60. In the 2020 season, he was the top run scorer of the team and helped the team to secure their maiden PSL Title.
3. Peshawar Zalmi (2023-Present): For the 2023 season, Peshawar Zalmi acquired the services of Babar Azam and in the 22 matches, he has scored 1091 runs with an average of 54.55 for the team. Some of his other records are:

• Babar Azam is the highest run getter in the PSL. (3504 runs in 90 innings)
• Babar Azam has the highest average in the PSL tournament. (45.5)
• Babar Azam has the most number of fifty plus scores. (35)

International Records

The international careers of these two superstars, Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, are marked by numerous achievements and records, consistently earning them recognition as two of the finest batters of their generation. Some of the major records are listed below:

Virat Kohli’s Achievements

Babar Azam’s Achievements

Prime Years

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam have reached the pinnacle of their careers, delivering some of the most memorable performances in recent years. During these peak periods, both stars were exceptional, displaying remarkable form and skill that captivated fans.

Virat Kohli’s Best Years

• Year 2016:Year 2016 is often referred to as the year of Virat Kohli because of the form he had. Scoring 973 runs in a season for RCB along with winning the Man of the Series in T20 format against Australia and then being the highest run-scorer for India in both Asia Cup and T20 World Cup allowed the fans to see a beast in him. Also his three double hundreds in the Test Format made sure that he makes 2595 runs in 2016 while averaging 86.50 with the bat.
• Year 2017: Just like 2016, Virat Kohli kept the momentum going in 2017 by smacking Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh in the Test format. Besides this, his Champions Trophy heroics combined with a serious ODI series against New Zealand helped him to rack up 2818 runs in the 2017 years which also includes 11 centuries to his name.
• Year 2018:After smashing the bowlers for two consecutive years, 2018 became an important season for Virat Kohli as he started the period by smashing South African bowlers at their shores in the ODI and Test format. After that, he scored 593 runs in 10 innings against England and then ended the season with centuries against West Indies and Australia. He averaged 68.30 and scored 2735 runs for the team.

Babar Azam’s Best Years

• Year 2019:Babar Azam started the year with a special series against South Africa in Test and ODI Format. However, he had a rough ODI series against Australia and England, but went into the World Cup and scored 474 runs from 8 innings. After the World Cup, the T20 series against Australia along with a Test series against Sri Lanka allowed him to end his year at 2082 runs from 41 innings.
• Year 2021:After a poor year in 2020, Babar Azam established his name in 2021 as Pakistan started with a bang against South Africa in the T20 and Test series. The tour of Zimbabwe, England and West Indies helped him to prepare for the T20 World Cup where he scored 303 runs in 6 innings. He finally ended his year with a blistering series against Bangladesh, amassing 1760 runs in 45 innings.
• Year 2022: Starting the year with a home test series against Australia along with an ODI series against West Indies, Babar Azam was the best batsman for the team. He continued his form in the T20 series against New Zealand and England but failed miserably in the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup. Finally, the year ended with a disappointing loss against England in the Test series but he managed to get 2598 runs from the 44 matches played.

Global Influence on Cricket

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are termed as the best players of their country and they have been the reason why Cricket has been so popular worldwide.

Virat Kohli’s Impact

Babar Azam’s Impact

Who Earns the Title of "King"?

After examining the statistics and considering the influence both players have had on the next generation, it's clear that Virat Kohli currently stands ahead of Babar Azam in this debate. With more centuries, ICC trophies, awards, and numerous records, Kohli is undeniably the standout batsman of his generation. However, Babar Azam, still in the early stages of his career, has the potential to surpass Kohli, armed with the passion and technique to elevate his game to new heights. While the debate may continue, it's important to appreciate and celebrate the remarkable legacies both cricketers are building.