‘He’s Nowhere Close To…’: Babar Azam Under Fire As Virat Kohli Comparison Called ‘Unfair’

Former India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik has made a bold statement regarding Babar Azam’s comparison with Virat Kohli and said that it’s not fair to compare the two. 

“For a long time now, there has been a comparison which I find unfair, but let me use that now. Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. I cannot imagine Virat Kohli playing that shot that early in the innings. That is submission,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

“It is not having belief in what it takes to win or how to take your team closer to victory. That wild slog from Babar Azam showed he wanted to keep up with the run rate, and that is not what he does normally,” he added.

The right-handed batter further added that Babar Azam lacks the conviction and belief. “That absorption of pressure is what makes greatness. Every game cannot be easy, where you just come and play a few shots. When I look at Babar Azam, I feel that conviction and belief weren’t there. He’s nowhere close to being the best in the world, I think Abhishek Sharma is the best in the world currently,” Karthik said.

Babar Azam in T20 World Cup 2026

Babar Azam hasn’t had a great run in the T20 World Cup 2026 so far. He has scores of 15, 46 and 5 in the first three matches that the side has played. The right-handed batter’s continuous failure with the bat have been pointed out by the former cricketers. 

“Drop Shaheen, drop Babar and drop Shadab,” Shaheed Afridi said earlier. 

“Play some new players, give opportunity to young players for the game against Namibia and give them the confidence to perform well,” he stated.

“If the senior players do not perform well, you can drop them and bring in extend the opportunity to young players,” he added.

Also Read: PAK vs NAM LIVE MATCH, T20 World Cup 2026 | PAK 20/0 (3): Full Scorecard and Updates — Shaky Start From Pakistan Openers vs Namibia in Colombo