"Virat Kohli has established himself as a great, while Babar still has a lot to do" - Harbhajan Singh
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh recently opined that Pakistan captain Babar Azam is still not on the same level as Virat Kohli. He reckoned that the Team India stalwart had already proved his credentials across formats and established his name among the greats of the game.
Many fans and critics often draw parallels between Babar and Kohli due to their penchant for scoring consistently and their classy stroke-making ability.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan Singh discussed the current stature of Virat Kohli and Babar Azam in international cricket in the company of Shoaib Akhtar. Singh said:
"Virat Kohli has established himself as a great, while Babar still has a lot to do. He will reach there someday, as he is a wonderful player. He is very good in Test cricket, but maybe T20 doesn't suit him a lot."
Akhtar also agreed with Harbhajan Singh's views, saying:
"Virat Kohli is the greatest, and Babar Azam is in the making to be the greatest batsman ever. He is trying to get better in T20s. People are behind him for no reason."
Virat Kohli made his international cricket debut in 2008 and has scored over 25,000 runs in all three formats at an average of 53.44, including 75 centuries. Only the legendary Sachin Tendulkar has scored more tons than him in the history of international cricket.
Babar Azam debuted for Pakistan in 2015 and has steadily become their batting mainstay across all formats with exceptional performances. In his 8-year career so far, Azam has scored over 12,000 runs at a wonderful average of 49.87, including 30 centuries.
Both the players will face off multiple times against each other in the coming months as India and Pakistan will compete in the Asia Cup and then in ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
The high-octane match between both sides in the World Cup will happen on October 15 at the biggest cricket venue in the World, Ahmedabad. More than one lakh viewers will be in attendance.
Team India's schedule for ICC ODI World Cup 2023
Match 5: October 8 - India vs Australia, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, 2 PM IST
Match 8: October 11 - India vs Afghanistan, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, 2 PM IST
Match 13: October 15 - India vs Pakistan, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, 2 PM IST
Match 17, October 19 - India vs Bangladesh, Maharashtra Cricket Association, Pune, 2 PM IST
Match 21, October 22 - India vs New Zealand, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala, 2 PM IST
Match 29, October 29 - India vs England, Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, 2 PM IST
Match 33, November 2 - India vs Qualifier 2, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, 2 PM IST
Match 37, November 5 - India vs South Africa, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 2 PM IST
Match 43, November 11 - India vs Qualifier 1, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, 2 PM IST