In a recent statement to local reporters, Imran Khan, the former captain of the Pakistan cricket team and Prime Minister, shared his thoughts on the widely debated comparison between India's Virat Kohli and Pakistan's Babar Azam. Although he admitted to not actively following cricket in recent times, Khan firmly believed that Azam is just as exceptional a player as Kohli, emphasizing that they belong to the same class.



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"I haven't been closely following cricket lately, but I genuinely believe that Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are in the same league. From what I have seen, Babar Azam has the potential to surpass Virat Kohli; he is that talented," said the former Pakistani all-rounder, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.


Imran Khan, now 70 years old, is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of the sport. He led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.


While Kohli experienced a slump in form over the past couple of years, he made a strong comeback during the Asia Cup last year and delivered an outstanding innings in the T20 World Cup 2022 against Pakistan in Australia. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he scored an impressive 639 runs, including two centuries and six half-centuries. Although his performance in limited-overs cricket has been remarkable, Kohli has struggled to replicate the same level of form in Test cricket.


On the other hand, Babar Azam has amassed 3696 runs in 47 Test matches at an average of 48.63. In 100 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), the Pakistan captain boasts an outstanding average of 59.17 and has scored 5089 runs. However, Azam has faced criticism for his comparatively low strike-rate in T20 Internationals (T20Is). With a strike-rate of 128.40 in 104 T20Is, the 28-year-old has been deemed below average in this format, considering its fast-paced nature.