‘Babar Azam and Virat Kohli should not be in the same sentence’, Says Ravi Ashwin on comparisons

Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed comparisons between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli, urging an end to the debate. The veteran Indian off-spinner was direct in his comments, emphasizing that the two players should not be mentioned in the same context.

Ashwin acknowledged Babar Azam as an outstanding player but emphasized that Virat Kohli’s achievements are on a different level. The 38-year-old noted that, aside from Joe Root in Test cricket, no one matches the accomplishments of the Indian cricket legend.

“Definitely, if he is given a chance, he will score runs. If there is class, I believe we should end this debate once and for all. First of all, across the border, Babar Azam and Virat Kohli shouldn’t be mentioned in the same statement,” Ashwin in a video on his Youtube channel.

“I am really sorry, I rate Babar Azam. He is an outstanding player, but Virat Kohli’s credentials are something else. Across terrains, across times, across pressure situations, the kind of heists he has done, no one has come close to doing so in the world of cricket. As far as I know, at this point, if any one comes close, it is Joe Root in Test cricket,” Ashwin added.

Overall, Virat Kohli has amassed over 27,000 runs in international cricket, including 80 centuries. In comparison, Babar Azam is nearing the 14,000-run milestone and has registered a total of 31 centuries across formats.

After Pakistan’s selectors made the bold decision to drop Babar Azam from the Test team, many experts voiced their disapproval. Fakhar Zaman, a key player in Pakistan’s white-ball squad, stirred controversy by criticizing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He drew comparisons between Babar’s exclusion and Virat Kohli’s lean phase, suggesting that the treatment of the two players had been markedly different.