ODI World Cup 2023: Fans often pit Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli in ODIs, but the question is, who is the better batter? While Babar has been on the rise for the last few years, the former Indian skipper has been on the wane since 2020. With the all-important IND vs PAK clash scheduled to be played on October 14, let’s take a deep dive and compare the two modern greats:
Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli: Stats in ODIs
There is not much separating the two batters in 50-over cricket. Babar has made 5424 runs in 110 matches for Pakistan, averaging 57.09 in these matches (6th highest of all-time) in 107 innings. The Pakistan skipper has 19 centuries and 28 fifties to his name and holds the record for being the fastest batter to make 5000 ODI runs.
Meanwhile, Kohli has 13168 runs in 282 matches and is the fifth-highest run scorer in the format. He is also second on the list of most centuries in ODI cricket (47) and 11th on the list of most half-centuries in ODI cricket (67). The Delhi cricketer averages 57.50 (5th highest of all-time) in 270 innings.
Both batters are placed in the top 2 when it comes to the best average among batters with more than 5,000 runs.
Also Read:
- Most wins in ODI World Cup: Australia on top, India & New Zealand in top 3
- Active players with most wickets in ODI World Cup: Starc, Shakib & Shami feature in list
- Active players with most runs in ODI World Cups: Kohli, Rohit & Root all feature
Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli: Stats in World Cup
Babar has made 489 runs in 10 matches with an exceptional average of 54.33 while striking the ball at 85.34. The right-handed batter has scored 1 century and 3 fifties in the ODI World Cup.
Kohli is currently placed 10th on the all-time list of most runs in the ODI World Cup (1115 runs). Kohli has played in four World Cups (2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023) and averages 48.47 in 27 innings. The batter also has two centuries and seven fifties in the mega event.
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