“Stop comparing Babar Azam with Virat Kohli” - Irfan Pathan slams Pakistan batter after 61-run defeat to India

Former Indian all-rounder and commentator Irfan Pathan has slammed Babar Azam for not living up to expectations for his side in pressure situations. Notably, the No.4 batter could score only five runs off seven balls against India on Sunday in Colombo.

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For the unversed, since the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Babar has registered scores of 10, 14, 0, 13, and 5 against India, scoring a total of 110 runs in six games at an average of 22 and a strike rate of 123.59.

At the same time, Kohli has racked up 492 runs in 11 matches against Pakistan, with an average of 70.28, including a heroic knock at the MCG during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, where he helped India win from a nearly impossible spot. 

"And please, stop comparing Babar Azam with Virat Kohli. Virat Kohli is in a different league. Look at his innings against Pakistan in the 2022 World Cup — has Babar ever played such a knock under pressure? Apart from 2021, when dew played a big role, how many times has Babar absorbed pressure and finished games like that?" Irfan said on his YouTube channel.

"With three wickets down, he should have batted till the 15th over, focused on singles and doubles, and played a long innings. Even a strike rate of 120 would have been acceptable given the scoreboard pressure. Instead, he went for a big shot and got out. He doesn’t consistently have the ability to clear boundaries at will, nor to rotate strike freely in the middle overs against quality spin when the ball grips,” he added.

India is currently topping the Group A standings, having qualified for the Super 8 stage. On the other hand, Pakistan needs to win against Namibia to make it to the next round.

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