If you are a true cricket lover, one question will always be on your mind: Who is the best, Virat Kohli or Babar Azam? In modern-day cricket, when India vs Pakistan is considered one of the biggest cricket rivalries, the stats comparison also starts on the individual player level. The stats comparison between top players is from the beginning of the world cricket. Don Bradman vs. Viv Richards, Imran Khan vs. Kapil Dev, Curtly Ambrose vs. Wasim Akram, and much more, the list will never end.
But in today’s era, the top comparison that every cricket analyst makes is Virat Kholi vs Babar Azam. Both are top-order right-handed batters who have most things in common, e.g., their records-chasing abilities.
If we look at the overall stats and records of the two players, we can find out that Virat Kohli has made many impressive records, which no other batter has done in the history of cricket. Soon, Virat Kohli will surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 centuries record. On the other hand, Babar Azam also rises as one of the best Batters in the world.
As we all know, the T20 World Cup 2024 is about to start soon, and on 9 June 2024, fans will be able to see Virat and Babar again in action in this mega event. Below, we have given a detailed comparison of the stats of these two top-notch players who are now conquering the world of cricket.
Virat Kohli made his international test debut in 2011, played over 100 test matches, and scored 8676 runs with an average of 49.30. Babar Azam has played 49 test matches and scored 3772 runs with an average of 47.75.
In ODIs as well, Virat Kohli is ahead of Babar Azam as he is close to 13000 International runs with a difference of 8000 runs compared to Babar Azam. There is a clear stats difference due to the difference in both players’ debuts, but certainly, Babar Azam is proving themselves and chasing records in the cricket world.
Meanwhile, in the IPL, Virat Kohli scored 7,263 runs in 237 matches, and in the PSL, Babar Azam scored 2,935 runs in 79 matches with an average of 43.80.
Virat vs Babar Azam in Tests
Check out the table below for the stats of both players in tests.
| Name | Matches | Runs | Avg | S.R | Highest | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 113 | 8848 | 49.15 | 55.56 | 254* | 29 | 30 |
| Babar Azam | 52 | 3898 | 45.85 | 54.86 | 196 | 9 | 26 |
Virat vs Babar Azam in ODIs
Check out the below table for the stats of both players in ODIs.
| Name | Matches | Runs | Avg | S.R | Highest | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 292 | 13848 | 58.67 | 93.58 | 183 | 50 | 72 |
| Babar Azam | 117 | 5729 | 56.72 | 88.75 | 158 | 19 | 32 |
Virat vs Babar Azam in T20s
Check out the below table for the stats of both players in T20s.
| Name | Matches | Runs | Avg | S.R | Highest | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 117 | 4037 | 51.75 | 138.15 | 122* | 1 | 37 |
| Babar Azam | 109 | 3698 | 41.55 | 129.12 | 122 | 3 | 33 |
Best Cover Drive Player?
Whenever there is a discussion of Virat or Babar, people always think about who has the best cover drive shot.
Virat Kohli made 18.8% of his runs through his stylish cover drives. His average while playing his cover drive is 74.15. And if we talk about the control percentage of Virat Kohli, then it is around 86.3%, which is very impressive.
While Babar Azam has scored 21% of his career runs through cover drives and has an average of 48.3. The cover drive control percentage of Babar Azam is 91.5%, which is phenomenal.