Aug 13 – Virat Kohli, the stylish Indian batsman, has praised Babar Azam as one of the best batters in the world across all forms.
In an interview with standout Sports, Kohli expressed his respect and recounted his first meeting with Pakistan’s standout batter Babar Azam.
“The first interaction I had with him (Babar) was during the 2019 (ODI) World Cup after the game in Manchester,” Kohli recalled in the interview filmed last year.
“I’ve known Imad (Wasim) since the Under-19 World Cup, and he said Babar wanted to have a chat.
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“We sat down and spoke about the game. I saw a lot of regard and respect from him from day one, and that hasn’t changed,” Kohli said.
“Regardless of the fact he’s probably the top batsman in the world across formats, and rightly so.
“Performs so consistently and I’ve always enjoyed watching him play,” Kohli added.
With 886 rating points, Babar is now the top-ranked player in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings. Meanwhile, Kohli is ranked eighth with 705 rating points.
The Pakistan batsman is also ranked in the top five in T20Is and Tests, cementing his status as an all-format great. In the Rankings chart, he is the only player who ranks in the top five across all forms.
On September 2, India and Pakistan will meet off in Kandy during the Asia Cup group round. Depending on how they perform in the first round, they may also compete in the Super 4 stage. Furthermore, the intense competition will return on October 14 in Ahmedabad during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
