Indian superstar batter "Virat Kohli" has hailed "Babar Azam" as one of the best batters in the Cricket World

 

Kohli said players such as Azam "go a long way" and "inspire many".

Kohli conveyed his admiration and recalled his first meeting with Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam in an interaction with Star Sports. 

"The first interaction I had with him (Babar) was during the 2019 ODI World Cup after the game in Manchester," Kohli recalled in the interview filmed last year.

"I've known Imad (Wasim) since the Under-19 World Cup, and he said Babar wanted to have a chat.

"We sat down and spoke about the game. I saw a lot of regard and respect from him from day one, and that hasn't changed," Kohli said. "Regardless of the fact he's probably the top batsman in the world across formats, and rightly so.

"Performs so consistently and I've always enjoyed watching him play," Kohli added.

Babar is currently the top-ranked player in the MRF Tyres ICC Men's ODI Batting Rankings with 886 rating points. Kohli, meanwhile, is in the ninth spot with 705 rating points. 

Relation & Respect of Virat kohli with Pakistani players

Virat Kohli believes there is a healthy amount of respect between the India and Pakistan players, despite the fierce on-field rivalry between the two sides.

Kohli, speaking to the press after the two sides clashed in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup was nothing but short of praise for their rivals. In a thriller, Pakistan won the match by five wickets, with one ball remaining. They chased down a total of 182 in the final over, courtesy of some brilliant contributions from Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Nawaz. 

Kohli was also asked about the comparison between him and Babar Azam and the former Indian captain was nothing short of praise for the Pakistan skipper. Kohli believes the pair have always had a relationship based on respect, with Babar also tweeting out his support for the Indian stalwart during his lean patch with the bat. 

Kohli also isn't surprised with Babar's performances across all the formats with the bat. Babar is currently the No.1-ranked batter in the world in ODIs and T20Is on the MRF Tyres ICC Men's Player Rankings. 

Lauding the Pakistan captain, Kohli said, "Babar is a very nice guy. I have always had good conversations with him. I am not sure about kinship since he is much younger to me, but there is respect. There is always respect." 

Kohli also recalled an incident where Babar approached him for advice after the two sides met in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2019. "He was always keen to learn. He spoke to me after our game in the 2019 World Cup. I have always said he is keen to learn, and there’s no surprise that he is playing like this in all formats of the game. He is obviously a very talented player," Kohli added. 

The bonhomie and camaraderie between the players from both sides have also been visible during the tournament, with them often engaging in friendly conversations and interactions with each other. 

Live Saying of Virat kohli about Babar Azam 

Speaking in an interview with Star Sports, Kohli said Azam was performing "so consistently and rightly so, he has amazing talent and I've always enjoyed watching him play".

Recounting his history and first meeting with Azam at the 2019 cricket world cup, Kohli said he had seen a lot of "regard and respect" from Azam from "day one". "That has not changed," he added.

"I congratulated him yesterday for how he has been playing and I told him how amazing to watch it is and I wish him all the best."

“These kind of players, these kind of characters, they go a long way and they inspire a lot of people and I see that happening with him as well. I congratulated him yesterday for how he has been playing and told him how amazing to watch it is. I wish him all the best and he deserves all of it. Eventually, you need to have players like him to keep world cricket exciting and that is the reality of the situation.” 

Speaking to Star Sports in an interview, Kohli spoke about his relationship with Babar – six years his junior – praising him for maintaining the same respect and regard towards him over the years.

“The first interaction I had with him was the 2019 World Cup, after the [India-Pakistan] game in Manchester,” Kohli said. “He and Imad [Wasim] – Imad I have known since U19 cricket, because we played against each other – so Imad said Babar wanted to have a chat. We sat down, we spoke about the game. I saw a lot of regard and respect from him from day one, and that hasn’t changed, regardless of the fact that he is probably the top batsman in the world right now across formats, performing so consistently. And rightly so.”

Comparison b/w Babar Azam and Virat kohli 

The camaraderie between Kohli and Babar has been the subject of social media chatter ever since the Pakistan captain put out a tweet in July, extending his solidarity towards the out-of-form Kohli. Babar was widely hailed for his gesture of support, with Kohli himself replying to the tweet a day later.

In the lead-up to the 2022 Asia Cup, the India-Pakistan fixture has also gained considerable traction, with a picture of Kohli and Babar greeting each other on the sidelines of a practice session wowing fans around the world.

Babar is currently ranked third in the ICC Test rankings for batters, and first in the ODI and T20I men’s batting rankings.

Praising Babar for staying true to himself despite considerable success coming his way, Kohli said that it is a sign of someone “who is very grounded”, and that players like him are needed to “keep world cricket exciting”.

“He has amazing talent and I have always enjoyed watching him play,” Kohli said. “So that hasn’t changed, it hasn’t changed because he is performing now and coming into his own – I don’t see his attitude and approach changing towards me. Which is a very good sign of someone who is very grounded in his foundations of his upbringing, and his cricketing foundations as well are very solid.

He was referring to his interaction with Azam in Dubai on Wednesday where the two shared a warm greeting ahead of the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan clash at the Asia Cup on Sunday.

"It hasn't changed because he is performing now and coming into his own. I don't see his attitude or approach changing towards me which is a very good sign of someone who is very grounded in the foundations of his upbringing and his cricketing foundations as well are very solid."