"Virat was initially a funky guy who had come from U19 WC"- Wahab Riaz on Virat Kohli's meteoric rise ahead of IND vs PAK in Asia Cup 2023

Former Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz believes what sets star batter Virat Kohli apart is his discipline and commitment. He recalled how a young Kohli had to face the harsh realities of international cricket and how he made the journey from being a newcomer to one of the best in the world.

Riaz also feels the one similarity between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam is their hunger for scoring runs as they just keep piling on misery for the opposition.

Speaking to Zalmi TV, here's what Wahab Riaz had to say about Virat Kohli and Babar Azam:

"I feel a similarity is their hunger to score runs for the country. Virat was initially a funky guy who had come from the U19 World Cup. But then the way he changed his work ethic, shared the dressing room with stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, and managed to make a name for himself speaks volumes about his hunger."

---

Wahab Riaz on whether Babar Azam can reach Virat Kohli's levels

Wahab Riaz understands that Kohli has already played 15 years of international cricket, while Babar has just about started to assert his dominance. However, the former cricketer feels that if the Pakistan captain is able to sustain his form for long, he could become a batter of Kohli's status.

On this, Riaz stated:

"Babar's hunger for runs keeps on increasing with the more he scores. The one difference I feel is that most of Virat's hundreds have come in winning cause and he has played for 10-15 years. If Babar continues the way he is playing, I don't think it will be difficult for him to reach the level that Virat is at today."

How Kohli and Babar perform could be pivotal in determining the result of the India-Pakistan encounter in Kandy on Saturday.

​