Virat Kohli and Babar Azam in frame. PC- AFP
The Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam debate has been going on for quite some time now. Prior to Babar, there were Ahmed Shahzad and Umar Akmal, but the Indian star has outdone them all.
In terms of international runs, Kohli is just second to Sachin Tendulkar, with 28215 runs and counting in 559 matches. Additionally, he has notched up 85 centuries and 146 half-centuries at the highest level.
Although Babar Azam has the most T20I runs, his overall international count is nearly half that of his Indian counterpart. After 348 matches, Babar has scored 15647, with 32 tons and 108 fifties, alongside various accolades in T20 cricket.
Tanvir Ahmed calls Babar Azam better than Virat Kohli
To take the Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam debate to a new level, former Pakistan seamer Tanvir Ahmed sang all praises for his countryman, which has provoked countless Kohli admirers from both India and Pakistan.
"Virat Kohli scored 675 runs in IPL 2026, while Babar Azam had 588 runs in PSL 2026 but with four lesser innings. Babar has a poorer striker rate, but he has the most runs in T20Is. He even has more centruies than Kohli in the T20 format. Kohli is retired, while Babar is still playing. In overall T20 as well, Babar will break every record possible," Tanvir Ahmed said on his YouTube Channel.
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Tanvir Ahmed coins Babar Azam real King
Later, the former Pakistan cricketer mocked Kohli on his X handle, stating there is only one King, referring to Babar.
According to the ex-cricketer, the Pakistan star has scored his runs while playing in a weak batting line-up, whereas Kohli has had support from the other end.
"Babar Azam has scored runs with a weak batting lineup but has made a name for himself in the last 10 years. However, Virat Kohli has always had support from other batters. If he had scored runs with a weaker lineup, I would have called him the King," Tanvir Ahmed said in a X post.
Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam in terms of stats
Although it's an open-and-shut case, let us still compare Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. The former has obviously played much more, as he debuted for India in 2008, while the Pakistan batter first played for his country seven years later.
Kohli, meanwhile, has proved himself on all litmus tests. However, what favours Babar is his age, as he still has seven to eight good years left in him.
| Criterion | Virat Kohli | Babar Azam |
| Innings | 626 | 388 |
| Runs | 28215 | 15647 |
| Average | 52.73 | 45.35 |
| 100s/50s | 85/146 | 32/108 |
| Strike Rate | 79.62 | 81.09 |
What these stats don't show is Virat Kohli's impact as a captain. Regarded as one of the best Test captains ever, Kohli became the first Asian skipper to win a Test series in Australia. Apart from that, he won a Test series in Sri Lanka and the West Indies, and levelled one in England, and won two matches in South Africa.
Meanwhile, under Babar Azam, Pakistan did reasonably well in two T20 World Cups, including the legendary 10-wicket victory over Kohli’s India. However, barring that, he hasn’t done much as a skipper.
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