Kohli has already etched his name among elites, whereas Babar Azam is still in nascent stage: Harbhajan Singh

Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh reckons that Babar Azam, Pakistan captain, still has a substantial journey ahead of him in order to reach the same level as Virat Kohli as a batter. The intense rivalry between India and Pakistan in the realm of cricket ignites a fan war between the fan bases of Kohli and Babar on various social media platforms.  

Cricket fans frequently engage in comparisons between Pakistan skipper and Indian batting virtuoso. Due to their enormous regard for one another, both of these batting stars have been seen adoring each other on multiple occasions in the past.

According to Harbhajan, Kohli has already solidified his place among the all-time greats, whilst Babar still has a long way to go. In spite of Babar's significant performances, many former players consistently chose Kohli because of his international cricket experience and frequent big-stage performances. Adding to that, according to Harbhajan, Azam should improve his T20 batting abilities.

Articulating his thoughts on his YouTube channel, Singh states, "Virat Kohli has already etched his name among the elites, whereas Babar Azam is still in the nascent stage of his journey towards greatness. He possesses extraordinary talent and will inevitably ascend to the summit. Although he excels in Test cricket, T20s may not be his most ideal format."

Accompanying the legendary Indian spinner's statement during the discussion on his YouTube channel, former Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar, fondly known as the Rawalpindi Express, echoed similar sentiments regarding the comparison between Kohli and Babar. 

Akhtar highlighted Babar's progress in the shortest version of the game and criticized the undue harshness of critics towards him."Virat Kohli is undoubtedly the greatest, and Babar Azam is in the process of becoming one of the greatest batsmen ever. He is striving to improve his performance in T20s. People unjustly target him without reason," added Akhtar.

The impending Asia Cup in 2023 and a highly anticipated meeting in the ODI World Cup in 2023 are two upcoming contests between India and Pakistan.  The ODI World Cup game between the arch-rivals is set for October 15 at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, however, the Asia Cup schedule has not yet been made public.