"Love Him, Want To Marry" Babar Azam: Former PCB Chief Ramiz Raja Breaks Internet With On-Air Comment. Watch

08.08.2023 - 13:01 sports.ndtv.com

Babar Azam is to Pakistan cricket what Virat Kohli is to India. He is easily Pakistan's most talked about cricketer in recent times.

His top rankings in ICC charts justifies his popularity. With the World Cup fast approaching, Babar Azam's form will be closely watched.

The Pakistan captain is currently featuring in the Lanka Premier League 2023. He has been in great form for Colombo Strikers.

He recently hit a match-winning hundred which made him only the second player after Chris Gayle to hit 10 T20 centuries. Former Pakistan captain and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) head Ramiz Raja was effusive in his praise for Azam during the match. "Fifty in security, class and quality.

cricket India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team World Cup 2023 Air on watch Ramiz Raja Virat Kohli Babar Azam Waqar Younis India Pakistan

Pakistan geared up for Asia Cup 2023 with a 3-0 series win over Afghanistan but there were some issues with their batting. During the third ODI match, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam guided Pakistan to 268 but they lost wickets at regular intervals and that did not allow them to reach the 300-run mark. Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal seemed concerned with the performance and said that the Babar-led side may struggle against big teams like India. In a recent interaction, he said that the Pakistan batters need to play positive cricket and take more responsibility against tough opponents.

"Reminds Me Very Much Of Virat Kohli": Ex-Australia Star's Interesting Take On Babar Azam

The comparison between Indian cricket team star Virat Kohli and Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is quite common both among fans and experts. With the traditional rivals facing each other in Asia Cup 2023 in early September, the debates have become quite intense recently. However, former Australia cricketer Tom Moody had a completely different take on the debate and he came up with similarities between the two batters. During a recent interaction, Moody said that Babar actually reminds him a lot of Kohli considering how both players rely on proper cricket shots and have a deep understanding of the game.

"When You Achieve No. 1 Position...": Babar Azam Reacts As Pakistan Top ICC ODI Rankings

After leading his team to an ODI series sweep over Afghanistan on Saturday, Pakistan captain Babar Azam said he was hopeful of his team producing 'good' cricket in the upcoming Asia Cup. Pakistan posted a facile 59-run win over their western neighbours at the R Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka on Saturday, completing a whitewash of the three-match series. Speaking to media persons after leading his team to the top of the ODI rankings, the Pakistan skipper weighed in on the current dressing room ambience saying that the momentum that they gained during the series whitewash against Afghanistan will stand them in good stead going into the Asia Cup.

"Always Has Been A...": Babar Azam's Straight Take On India-Pakistan Clash In Asia Cup 2023

The Asia Cup 2023 is just round the corner and cricket fans around the world are waiting for the high-profile match between India and Pakistan. The two sides stopped playing bilateral series since 2012-13 and it is only at continental and international tournaments where the supporters can see these two sides face each other. Pakistan cricket team skipper Babar Azam opened up about the highly-anticipated match and how the two teams gear up for such a match. "The India-Pakistan match has always been a rivalry. The entire world experiences the match and enjoys it. Even we enjoy it a lot. I feel that the level of cricket is very good and competitive. Fans miss the India-Pakistan match and both teams always give their 100 percent," Babar said on Star Sports.

Virat Kohli Or Babar Azam - Who's Better? Ex-India Star Drops The 'Unfair' Word

The comparisons between Indian cricket team star Virat Kohli and Pakistan captain Babar Azam have been dominating headlines for quite some time now and with the two teams facing each other in Asia Cup 2023, fans of both teams have once again started comparing the two batters. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar weighed in on the discussion and he had a somewhat different approach to it. In a recent interaction, he said that players like Kohli and legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar have been at the top of the game for quite some time and it sometimes get unfair that they are compared to all upcoming talents.

MS Dhoni, Babar Azam Surpassed By Afghanistan Star Rahmanullah Gurbaz For Historic Feats In Match vs Pakistan

Afghanistan's swashbuckling opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been known to be a power-hitter. He has shown that in quite a few IPL matches for Kolkata Knight Riders. He gave yet another example of his hitting prowess in the second ODI against Pakistan in Hambantota on Thursday. The 21-year-old Gurbaz hit run-a-ball 151 with the help of 14 fours and three sixes to guide his team to 300. He shared an opening stand of 227 with Ibrahim Zadran, who scored a 101-ball 80, after Afghanistan won the toss and batted.