Hayden’s Take on Virat Kohli vs. Babar Azam Debate

Australian cricket legend and World Cup winner, Matthew Hayden, has added his voice to the ongoing debate about who is the better batter between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. Both Kohli and Azam have established themselves as elite batters in the world of cricket, leading their respective teams’ batting lineups across all three formats.

Hayden’s comments were reported by OneCricket, where he expressed his admiration for Babar Azam, calling him a “champion batter.” He even went on to say that, in his opinion, Babar Azam is currently ahead of Virat Kohli in this highly contested comparison. Hayden’s optimism extended to Babar’s upcoming performance in the crucial fixture against Sri Lanka, where a win would secure a spot in the finals of the Asia Cup 2023.

“Babar Azam is a champion. He comes back from these things time and time again because that’s what champions do. When you think about the statistical comparison at the same stage, Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam, Babar Azam is actually leading that shoot-out match,” Hayden said.

Let’s take a closer look at the statistics. In the ODI format, Virat Kohli boasts an impressive record with 279 matches under his belt and recently surpassing 13,000 runs, maintaining a remarkable average of 57.39. In contrast, Babar Azam, who has played 108 matches, has accumulated 5409 runs with an even more impressive average of 58.16.

Hayden emphasized Babar’s significance to the Pakistani team, not just as their captain but also as a pivotal talent within their batting unit. He expressed confidence in Babar’s ability to shine in the critical encounter against Sri Lanka.

“So that’s how significant he is to the Pakistani team lineup, and I am sure that he can do it in this shoot-out against Sri Lanka. Babar is central not only because he is the captain but he is absolutely central in terms of the talent of that batting unit,” Hayden added.

From a statistical standpoint, Virat Kohli has enjoyed a longer and consistently successful career for India. His records speak volumes about his exceptional batting prowess. However, Babar Azam appears to be on a similar trajectory and could potentially achieve similar heights for Pakistan if he continues to deliver consistent performances.

As the saying goes, “Time will tell.” Virat Kohli is approaching the latter stages of his career, while Babar Azam is still relatively young and has a long journey ahead to establish himself as a cricketing legend. Nevertheless, Babar has already claimed the number one ranking in ODIs for batting and ranks within the top 5 in the other two formats. It’s only a matter of time before we witness who will ultimately have the more illustrious career as a batter for their respective sides.