Author – Ishika Aggarwal
Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has added his perspective to the ongoing debate comparing Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli and former Pakistan captain Babar Azam. This discussion intensified following Babar’s recent exclusion from Pakistan’s Test squad, a decision that sparked controversy.
After a series of underwhelming performances, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made the surprising call to drop Azam from the remaining two Tests against England. However, Azam found support from his teammate Fakhar Zaman, who openly criticized the PCB’s decision.
Zaman took to social media to express his frustration, stating, “India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team.”
Despite Azam’s recent struggles, where his last half-century in Test cricket came back in December 2022 and his average has dropped to 20.70, Ravichandran Ashwin praised the Pakistan batsman but emphasized that he shouldn’t be compared to Virat Kohli.
‘Virat Kohli’s credentials are something else’ – Ravichandran Ashwin
Discussing the debate on his YouTube channel, Ashwin remarked, “Definitely, if he is given a chance, he will score runs. If there is class, that’s okay. I feel 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 line. I am very sorry, I really rate Babar Azam as 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 done that in world cricket. As far as I know, at this point, if any one comes close, it is Joe Root in Test cricket.”
Babar Azam was recently replaced by Kamran Ghulam, who impressed with a century after Pakistan’s shaky start against England in the 2nd Test. The spotlight is now on Azam to see how he responds and reclaims his spot in the lineup.
