Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently weighed in on the growing comparisons between Pakistan’s Babar Azam and India’s Virat Kohli, offering a blunt yet insightful perspective. Ashwin addressed the ongoing debate regarding Babar’s recent struggles and Kohli’s past rough patch, suggesting that these two players should not be placed in the same category.
Babar Azam, once the centerpiece of Pakistan’s cricket team, has faced a significant dip in form, particularly in red-ball cricket. In his last 18 innings, the former Pakistan captain has struggled to score, failing to reach a half-century and averaging just 18.75 in his last eight innings on home soil. These struggles led the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to make the bold decision to drop Babar from the squad for the final two Tests against England.
Fakhar Zaman, another prominent Pakistan cricketer, sparked controversy when he questioned the PCB’s decision and compared Babar’s current struggles to Virat Kohli’s rough patch in the past. During Kohli’s form slump, he also faced difficulty converting starts into big scores, going nearly three years without a Test century after his 2019 ton against Bangladesh.
In response to the debate, Ashwin made it clear that comparing Babar Azam to Virat Kohli is unfair, given the latter’s remarkable achievements. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin acknowledged Babar’s class but emphasized that Kohli operates on a different level in international cricket.
“There’s no doubt that Babar Azam is an exceptional player, and if given the opportunity, he will bounce back. However, I believe the comparison between him and Virat Kohli should end here. Virat’s contributions to cricket are unmatched—across different terrains, in high-pressure situations, and consistently over time. No one in modern cricket has accomplished what he has. If there’s anyone who can be mentioned in the same breath as Kohli in Test cricket, it would be Joe Root.”
Ashwin’s remarks reflect the high regard in which Kohli is held, not just for his performances in limited-overs cricket but also for his prowess in red-ball cricket. Root, the only player Ashwin believes is comparable to Kohli, has similarly earned a reputation as one of the best in Test cricket, consistently delivering in different conditions and against top opposition.
