Comparing the Journey of Two Subcontinent Greats:
Not only is it the subcontinent, but world cricket is blessed to have witnessed the class of Virat Kohli for such an extended period. Long it may continue…
If you look at the broader perspective, it seems as if Kohli has passed on the torch to another middle-order batter. Almost similar in stature, it is one of the men in green from across the border who has taken Virat’s place as the game’s absolute ace.
Yes! we are talking about Pakistan’s Babar Azam.
Let us compare the journey of these cover driving maestros and see if Babar is on the same cricketing journey as Kohli?
Embed from Getty ImagesBabar Azam, who is now a 2-time ODI player of the year, is a delight to watch. Babar and Kohli are often compared for cover drives, records, and centuries. But what makes it poetic is how Babar always admires Kohli and dreams of emulating him. Similarly, on multiple occasions, Kohli was on the front foot when praising Babar.
From tweets that broke the internet to respecting moments on the field. The two greats have immense admiration for each other’s game. The subcontinent audience melt down not only when they bat but also in these interviews and moments when they show respect for each other and sing praises for each other’s game.
The Journey
Is Babar Azam on the same cricketing journey as Virat Kohli?
Putting light on former Indian skipper’s journey, Kohli tasted silverware in its finest form winning the 2011 ODI World Cup under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. Lifting Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders and making rounds around the ground was a moment to cherish for Indian Cricket.
Embed from Getty ImagesComparing the above with Babar’s journey, the 29-year-old lifted the Champions Trophy in 2017 under the leadership of Sarfaraz Ahmed. Fast forward to 2019, Babar became much more prolific and broke the record of the great Javed Miandad for most runs in a World Cup campaign.
As fans call them, King Kohli and Baadshah Babar! they are the leading run scorers in the IPL and PSL, respectively. Both started slowing in their respective domestic competitions and have taken over by storm. In red ball cricket, both average close to 50 and play the backbone role in the batting lineup.
Captaincy and Criticism
Two of the finest the game of Cricket has ever produced. People still have the audacity to criticize them. Not even constructive criticism but bashing the two like coaches of club cricket. The media on either side of the border has hit new lows when talking about them.
Virat Kohli has carried India to ICC finals. Not only with the bat but also with his decision making. He took India to unimaginable heights, doing justice to the legacy of MS Dhoni. He made India a fortress in Test Cricket.
Home and away, India in Tests are the toughest nut to crack. Kohli continued from where Dhoni left off. The killer attitude, attacking mindset and the never-say-die attitude did wonders for Indian Cricket, particularly with the red ball under Virat Kohli.
Now the mentioned audacity…
Sections of the media, public and some former cricketers criticized Kohil for not crossing the line. The lack of support from the BCCI is also questionable in each case, particularly in test cricket.
As a Pakistan Cricket fan, I was in shock in terms of the treatment Kohli got. The propaganda was successful and Kohil was not leading India in any format. But to my surprise, we are now witnessing similar treatment of Babar Azam in terms of forming propaganda and agendas.
Sections of the media are labelling Babar as a selfish player. Such media mouthpieces are slowly convincing a section of people to believe that Babar is more interested in personal records rather than team success. The similarity also stretches to the points raised by the former cricketers. Moulding stats the way they like, Babar is mercilessly thrown under the bus.
To add to this senseless audacity, Babar was criticized just like Kohli for not crossing the line at the World Cup and Asia Cup, where Pakistan reached the finals.
The Missing Piece
As we look to close one of the region’s favourite topics. Let us put some light on where Babar needs to work to match/surpass Kohli’s legacy.
Kohil has been an expert in run chases. There was a time when no target was big enough for India’s no.3. If Babar can add more to his power hitting towards the end of the innings, he will go into the same category as the great man.
Further, the approach Kohli took in a test match as skipper was applaudable. He attacked from the word go and always looked to win test matches. Comparing that to Babar’s test approach, he plays it safe even in home conditions. Babar truly needs to step up with his captaincy in the test arena if he is again trusted and provided with the test captaincy.
Image Credit: Deposit Photos
