Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are recognized for their impressive cover drives and are among the top batters in their countries. Both players are often compared, as their teams rely on them for match victories.
In an interview with former Canada captain Saad Bin Zafar, he was asked to choose between their cover drives. The 39-year-old favored Kohli’s over Babar’s. He was also questioned about MS Dhoni’s calm demeanor versus Kohli’s aggressive style, to which he preferred Dhoni’s calmness, noting Dhoni’s success as a five-time Indian Premier League-winning captain.
Rapid Fire (This or That)
Babar Azam’s cover drive or Virat Kohli’s cover drive – Virat Kohli
Batting favourite: Cover drive or Six over long-on? – Cover Drive
Taking a wicket or saving runs – Taking a wicket
Match-winning spell or match-winning cameo – Match-winning spell
MS Dhoni’s calmness or Kohli’s aggression? – MS Dhoni’s Calmness
Bowling to a set batter or bowling to a new batter – Bowling to a new batter
Early morning training or night sessions – Night Session
Being called ‘Vettori’ or being called ‘Captain Cool’ – Being called Captain Cool
Zafar also linked different cricketers to specific traits. He described Kohli as fearless and a fighter, while referring to Babar Azam as a king.
‘One Word, One Cricketer!’
Fearless – Virat Kohli
Stylish – Abhishek Sharma
Underrated – Yuvraj Samra
Speed – Shoaib Akhtar
Calm – MS Dhoni
Genius – MS Dhoni
Magician – Saeed Ajmal
Fighter – Virat Kohli
King – Babar Azam
Clutch – Michael Hussey
Golden Arm – Rashid Khan
Leader – Imran Khan
Babar is on the Pakistan squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, though his recent batting form has been below standard. In three innings, he has scored just 66 runs, averaging 22 with a strike rate of 115.79. Kohli, on the other hand, retired from T20I Cricket after contributing to India’s victory in the previous T20 World Cup in 2024.
