Virat Kohli recently heaped praise on Pakistan captain Babar Azam, calling him “the top batsman in the world across formats”. The two batsmen have been widely regarded as the best in the world in recent years, and have formed a rivalry that has captured the imagination of fans of both countries.
Kohli and Babar first met at the 2019 ODI World Cup, and have since shared several warm exchanges on social media. In an interview with Star Sports last year, Kohli spoke of his respect for Babar, saying: “I saw a lot of regard and respect from him from day one, and that hasn’t changed.”
Kohli also praised Babar’s consistency, saying: “He performs so consistently and I’ve always enjoyed watching him play.”
Babar is currently the top-ranked ODI batsman in the world and is also ranked third in T20I cricket and fourth in Test cricket. He is the only batsman currently to feature in the top five in all three formats.
India and Pakistan are scheduled to play each other in the Asia Cup on September 2 and are also scheduled to meet in the World Cup clash on 14 th October.