‘He is the No. 1 batsman’ - Mohammad Yousuf opines on the Virat Kohli-Babar Azam debate

It has been a while since the Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam debate is doing rounds, and it doesn’t seem like ending anytime soon. Kohli and Azam are two of the best batsmen going around, and their record across formats is sensational. While the Indian skipper has already established himself as one of the finest batsmen ever, his Pakistan counterpart is on his way to greatness. With the two talismanic batsmen having similar batting styles, they are often compared, and many cricket experts have also presented their opinions on this.

Former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf also gave his verdict on the trending topic, and he indeed made a valid point. Yousuf, who was one of the mainstays of Pakistan batting during his career, highlighted the strength of both these batsmen but gave an edge to Kohli. The former Pakistan batsman hailed Kohli for being disciplined in training and credited his fitness as the main reason behind his success.

Virat Kohli is the No. 1 batsman at the moment: Mohammad Yousuf

“I’ve never seen him practice but have followed some his training videos on Twitter or some place else. In today’s era, if someone asks me what is modern cricket, I ‘d say it ‘s about training. The players today are fit and fast, as is Virat Kohli, which is the reason behind his terrific performances,” Mohammad Yousuf said on the YouTube Show ‘Cricast’

While Yousuf said that comparing Kohli with players of different era is unfair, he called the Indian captain the No. 1 batsman at the moment. “He has 70 centuries in ODIs and Tests combined. In ODIs, he has some 12000 runs and is approaching the 10k mark in Tests as well. In T20I as well, he has some great numbers. His performance in all three eras is high-class,” the 46-year-old added.

As far as Babar Azam is concerned, Yousuf feels the Pakistan skipper is highly successful as he applied hard work on top of his talent. Highlighting Azam’s dominance in ICC batting rankings, the former batsman also said that budding cricketers should follow the 26-year-old’s footsteps.

“Babar has worked on his talent. He undergoes tough drills and practices. I keep telling these younger players that the harder they work on their practice, the easier it will get playing matches. Babar has been doing that constantly and look,” asserted Yousuf.