Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli ODI NUMBERS

 The eagerly anticipated Asia Cup 2023 is due to begin on August 30 in Multan, much to the pleasure of cricket fans around the world, with Pakistan taking on Nepal in the tournament opener. While there are a number of players to keep an eye on, Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, who will lead the batting units of India and Pakistan, respectively, will be the centre of attention. 

Kohli and Babar, both praised for their outstanding batting, have frequently been contrasted with one another ever since the latter made his international cricket debut. Let's see how the facts support the comparison as both teams prepare for the Asia Cup 2023. 

Babar Azam and Virat Kohli Rivalry

Virat Kohli, who is regarded as one of the best batters to ever play the game, held the title of unchallenged Asian champion from 2015 to 2016. People on both sides of the Indo-Pak border, however, began noticing similarities in their batting as soon as Babar Azam made his international debut in 2015. 

As soon as Azam reached his peak in 2019, Kohli had a severe decline in his batting performance, which allowed his detractors to raise questions about his legacy. Since then, the two players have frequently been contrasted, with their supporters praising their individual players on social media. 

Virat Kohli In ODI Cricket

Following his success in leading the Indian side to victory in the 2008 under-19 World Cup, Virat Kohli was given his first ODI call-up. After making his debut in a bilateral series against Sri Lanka, Kohli steadily moved up the ladder, becoming an essential part of the ODI setup for the 2010 Asia Cup. He has now become a genuine legend in the 50-over format, inspiring India to numerous noteworthy victories. 

Virat Kohli's numbers in ODIs

Matches   Runs     Average    Strike Rate    50/100

275           12898       57.32         93.63             65/46

Opposition Matches Runs Average Strike Rate 50/100

Afghanistan   2           67      67           106.35          1/0

Australia      46          2172   52.98       95.35          11/8

Bangladesh  15          807     67.25       101.25         3/4

England         35        1340    43.23       88.68           9/3

Ireland           2           78       78.00        82.11          0/0

Netherlands  1           12        12            60.00          0/0

New Zealand 29       1433    55.12        95.41         8/5

Pakistan          13       536      48.73        96.23         2/2

South Africa  30        1403    61.00        85.92         8/4

Sri Lanka       50        2503    64.18        94.24      11/10

UAE                 1           33        N/A          80.49        0/0

West Indies   43         2261   66.50         96.96       11/9

Zimbabwe     8           253      50.60        86.94        1/1

Strengths of Virat Kohli

Chase Master: Virat Kohli's illustrious legacy is mostly characterised by his prowess in the pursuit of the ball. The batter has led team India to a number of spectacular victories by dominating under pressure. 

Turning one into two: In addition to being a prolific hitter, Kohli is renowned for his ability to score many runs through strike rotation. He is also a great athlete. 

Once set, Virat Kohli has the ability to accelerate, making him one of the most dangerous batters for any opposition. In the later innings of the game, he can quickly switch gears and score runs. 

Babar Azam In ODI Cricket

However, Babar Azam, who had risen through the ranks in the local circuit, made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Lahore in 2015. He has played in 103 ODIs overall, scoring 5202 runs at an exceptional average of 58.44 and an impressive strike rate of 88.81. 

Matches    Runs    Average    Strike Rate     50/100

103             5202     58.44          88.81               28/18

Babar Azam 's numbers in ODIs against different countries

Opposition Matches Runs Average Strike Rate 50/100

Afghanistan  5           224      44.80      74.67           3/0

Australia        9            588      73.50      91.73           2/3

Bangladesh   2             97        48.50      96.04          1/0

England        19            816      48.00      97.37          5/2

Hong Kong    1              33        33.00      91.67          0/0

India               5              158       31.60     75.96          0/0

Ireland           1               29         29.00     100.00       0/0

Netherlands    3            222        74.00     80.73         3/0

New Zealand     19        840        46.67     83.09        7/2

South Africa    10          523        65.38      89.55        3/1

Sri Lanka     10               496        62.00      82.39        1/3

West Indies   10              717      79.67        92.64        1/5

Zimbabwe     9              459       114.75      100.44        2/2

Strengths of Babar Azam

Excellent player of pace: Unlike most of his predecessors, Babar Azam is an exceptional player of raw pace. Babar, who is renowned for his superb back-foot game, is a great bowler of high-pace hit-the-deck bowling. 

Babar Azam is praised for his consistency, particularly in one-day international cricket. Given the weakness of Pakistan's middle order, it wouldn't be incorrect to refer to Babar as a lone warrior at the plate.

                Matches  Runs   Average   Strike Rate   50/100

Virat Kohli   275     12898     57.32        93.63          65/46

Babar Azam   103    5202      58.44        88.81         28/18

The statistics shown above show that there isn't much of a difference between Kohli and Babar's averages, with the latter having a little advantage over the former. Although Kohli has played 275 matches—more than twice as many as Babar has—he still has such a remarkable record. 

Additionally, the veteran Indian player has scored substantially more goals than his Pakistani rival. Babar is a talented batter, but he still has a long way to go before reaching Virat Kohli's level of brilliance, is all we can say at this time.