Pakistan captain Babar Azam is in great form. He kickstarted the tournament with a bang as he struck a magnificent 151 in quick time to help Pakistan put up a massive target on the board and eventually beat a lowly Nepal by 238 runs. Pakistan next play India, on September 2, at Kandy in Sri Lanka and it will be a big game. India rarely play Pakistan in international cricket and the fans are hugely awaiting this contest. The last time India met Pakistan, the Men in Blue were the victorious side.
Also Read | ‘Virat Kohli’s Comments About Me…,’ Babar Azam Reacts To India Batters Year Old Remark Ahead Of India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 Clash
One of the biggest obstacles for Pakistan will be the presence of Babar in their lineup. Babar is currently the World No 1 batter in the world in ODIs. Babar may not have a great record against India in ODIs, but in his current form, all of that can quickly change. In 5 matches against India, Babar has scored just 158 runs with no hundred against the Men in Blue.
In 2023, in ODIs, Babar has been in tremendous form across the format. In 12 ODIs played this year so far, Babar has struck 689 runs at an average of 57.41, including 2 hundreds and 6 fifties respectively. These numbers suggest that Indian bowlers would be looking to send him back as soon as possible.
However, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif feels that it is Babar who is going to face more difficulty when India and Pakistan clash. Kaif sees Mohammed Shami as one India bowler who could bring a lot of trouble for Babar. Kaif speaking to Star Sports, said, “”Mohammed Shami is a fantastic bowler, his form is also very good. And even in Bumrah’s absence, he managed the bowling very well. Even his form in the IPL was great. So he has a lot of talent. In my opinion, Babar Azam is going to have a lot of difficulty.”
While Indian fans will aim to see Babar’s quick fall on September 2, Pakistan fans will hope the same happens to Virat Kohli. The Indian batting maestro may have had a poor time with the bat in this format for a while now but is too good batter to be counted out. Let’s see who scores the most runs between the two current modern greats.