The Babar Azam vs. Virat Kohli debate is there to stay as two of the best batsmen are going neck to neck in terms of their hunger for runs regardless of the format.
When it comes to rankings, Babar is slightly ahead of Kohli merely because he is in the top 5 in all formats. Kohli, on the other hand, is in the top 10 in all formats.
Another thing that separates Babar from Kohli is his dismissal rate in the shortest format. Pakistan captain is dismissed every 34.3 balls he faces in 20-over cricket, meaning that no other player who has played over 100 innings gets out less often.
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The Indian skipper is next as he is dismissed after every 30.6 balls. The numbers highlight the duo’s remarkable ability to stay at the crease which is the reason why both have averaged over 50 in the international T20 cricket – Babar’s average has come slightly below fifty after the series against England.
Babar stays at the crease longer than any other batsman in the world who have played over 100 innings in T20 cricket. Both modern greats are incredibly hard to send back to the pavilion which is the reason why they are ruling the ICC rankings across formats.
Here are their overall T20 batting numbers:
| Â | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s |
| Babar Azam | 149 | 144 | 25 | 4996 | 102* | 41.98 | 3997 | 124.99 | 3 | 39 | 505 | 89 |
| Virat Kohli | 281 | 266 | 50 | 8900 | 113 | 41.20 | 6614 | 134.56 | 5 | 64 | 808 | 286 |
Looking at these numbers, Babar averages 41.98 which is slightly higher than Kohli’s 41.20 while the latter enjoys a better strike rate. Note that these numbers include both international and domestic 20-over cricket.
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One significant difference is Kohli’s six-hitting ability as he has struck 286 sixes in 266 innings while Babar has hit only 89 from 144 outings.
Who do you think is the better batsman? Let us know in the comments section.
Who do you think is the better batsman? Let us know in the comments section.
……Of Course Babar Azam :)
These comparisons are too early. Once gets a feeling that we are over hyping Azam