Virat Kohli, Babar Azam at par according to former Pakistan cricketer Mushtaq Mohammad

Former Pakistani cricketer Mushtaq Mohammad believes that modern-day maverick batsmen Babar Azam and Virat Kohli belong in the same league. Even though Virat Kohli has much more experience than his Pakistani counterpart, Mohammad reckons that Babar Azam is just as good even though he does not get to play as many Test matches in a year.

Also Read | Babar Azam Wants To Emulate Virat Kohli & Kane Williamson As Skipper

"Virat Kohli and Babar Azam in the same league," says Mushtaq Mohammad

In an interview with a leading Indian daily, Mushtaq Mohammad compared the two batsmen and lauded them for their consistent run-scoring abilities. While the Indian skipper is miles ahead of Babar Azam in terms of runs scored and is currently the number-one ranked batsman in ICC’s ODI and Test ranking, the Pakistani talisman has been the most consistent batsman across all formats for his country in recent years. While Kohli has touched the peak of ODI and Test batting charts, Lahore-born Babar Azam is ranked number one in T20I batting rankings. 

Also Read | Babar Azam Better Than Virat Kohli And Steve Smith? Pakistan Batsman Has His Say

Mohammad also admitted that Indian cricket is ahead of Pakistan at the moment because of their sound cricketing system. He acknowledged India’s domestic and international structure and said that India have built a strong pool of players. The legendary cricketer also lauded Indian Premier League (IPL) for helping Indian cricket to a great extent. 

Also Read | Babar Azam Calls Virat Kohli A 'legend,' Aspires To Get To His Position One Day

NZ vs IND 2020

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli and Co. will now take on New Zealand in a second of the ongoing three-match ODI series. The ‘Men in Blue’ lost the opening game by 4 wickets and are currently trailing the ODI segment of the tour 0-1. The second match will be played at Eden Park in Auckland on February 8.

Also Read | King Kohli Retains Number One Position In Test Rankings, Babar Azam Leapfrogs To 6th Spot