Virat Kohli, Babar Azam Join Hands As IPL And PSL Champions For 1st Time In History

Virat Kohli, Babar Azam win IPL and PSL in same year [Source: AFP]

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are the superstars of cricket if ranked by their popularity in their individual countries and in the world of cricket. As the Indian and Pakistani cricket stars enjoy a healthy rate of fame and success, a recent incident has further added to their greatness.

As Virat Kohli and Babar Azam have been compared often on the basis of their gameplay styles and how they anchor for their team in times of need, their title wins for domestic leagues have now also reached new heights.

Kohli and Babar, The Greats Of The Game

While Babar Azam has faced blunt accusations of not even being at par with the Indian superstar, it is partially true since Babar himself has achieved multiple feats like Virat Kohli.

Babar Azam has played almost half of the matches Kohli has played in ODI cricket, but has an average of 53.85, compared to Kohli’s 58.71.

In T20I cricket, Babar has the upper hand, though. Playing 145 matches, Azam has 4596 under his belt, while Kohli has amassed 4188 runs from 117 T20I games.

While comparisons and parallels will be shoulder to shoulder for these two legends, a recent feat of championship title wins has now brought them together on a shared podium.

As Babar Azam won the Pakistan Premier League for his team, Peshawar Zalmi, in 2026, Virat Kohli also bagged the IPL 2026 trophy for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Babar Azam Wins PSL 2026 Leading Peshawar Zalmi

After leading his team to a dominant platform with 8 wins out of 10 games, on May 3, at Lahore, PSZ lifted the PSL 2026 trophy with a convincing victory.

Playing against the Hyderabad Kingsmen in the final, the Zalmis dominated the contest as Aaron Hardie starred with a four-wicket haul to dismantle the opposition's top and middle order.

Babar Azam, however, had little impact with the bat in the final, as he was dismissed for a golden duck. 

Aaron Hardie then stepped up once again with the bat, combining with Abdul Samad to guide the Zalmis to a comfortable chase of the 130-run target, winning with 28 balls remaining and five wickets in hand.

Virat Kohli Wins IPL 2026 With RCB

Virat Kohli has also been a dominant force in the IPL, finishing with 675 runs in 16 matches this season while maintaining an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 165.85.

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Unlike Babar, in the IPL Final against the Gujarat Titans on May 31, Kohli played a match-winning knock of 75 off 42 deliveries to guide RCB home.

Kohli sealed the chase with a six, helping RCB reach the 156-run target and secure a five-wicket victory with two overs to spare. 

Moreover, RCB was the strongest paper on the team, too, which led them to a strong No. 1 finish after the group stage and led to the back-to-back trophy wins after 2025.

Why It Was The First Time?

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam have enjoyed highly successful careers since making their professional debuts in 2008 and 2015, respectively.

Both batters have established themselves as the leading stars of their generations and have won multiple trophies throughout their careers.

However, despite their individual success and numerous domestic league campaigns, they had never previously finished the same season as champions of their respective franchise tournaments.

The Rare Milestone Together!

The year 2026 marked a unique moment in cricket history as both Kohli and Babar lifted the premier T20 franchise trophies in their countries.

Babar guided Peshawar Zalmi to the PSL 2026 title, while Kohli played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2026 triumph.

For the first time since their respective debuts, the two batting icons became PSL and IPL champions in the same season, adding another remarkable chapter to their already decorated careers.

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