Comparing Virat Kohli and Babar Azam’s record in India vs Pakistan ODIs

Senior Team India batter Virat Kohli and Pakistan captain Babar Azam will be crucial to the fortunes of their respective sides when the arch-rivals meet in the Asia Cup 2023 clash in Pallekele on Saturday. Babar and Kohli are often compared to each other when it comes to a debate on the best batter of the modern era.

Both have terrific records across formats. If we speak specifically about ODIs, Kohli has featured in 275 matches, amassing 12898 runs at an average of 57.32 and a strike rate of 93.62, with 46 hundreds and 65 fifties to his name.

As for Babar, he has played 104 ODIs so far, scoring 5353 runs at an average of 59.47 and a strike rate of 89.39 with the aid of 19 hundreds and 28 fifties.

There will be plenty of expectations from both batters when they take the field for the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 clash in Pallekele. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

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How Kohli has fared against Pakistan in ODIs

Kohli enjoys batting against Pakistan. Heading into the Asia Cup, he has featured in 13 ODIs against Pakistan, scoring 536 runs at an average of 48.72, with two hundreds.

Incidentally, the former India captain’s highest score in one-dayers against Pakistan came in the Asia Cup when he smashed 183 off 148 balls in Mirpur in 2012.

The 34-year-old’s other ODI hundred against Pakistan was registered during the 2015 World Cup clash in Adelaide. Kohli was Player of the Match for scoring 107 off 126 balls as the Men in Blue hammered Pakistan by 76 runs.

Kohli’s other prominent scores against Pakistan in ODIs are 81* off 68 balls in the Champions Trophy group match in Birmingham and 77 off 65 balls in the 2019 World Cup clash in Manchester.

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How Babar has fared against India in ODIs

Shifting focus to the Pakistan captain, Babar has featured in five one-dayers against India in which he has scored 158 runs at an average of 31.60.

Babar’s first match against India was the 2017 Champions Trophy group clash in which he was dismissed for 8 by Umesh Yadav. The right-handed batter contributed 46 off 52 when the teams met in the final, with Pakistan humbling India in the one-sided clash at The Oval by 180 runs.

The 28-year-old registered scores of 47 and 9 in Dubai when India and Pakistan met during the 2018 Asia Cup. The last ODI meeting between India and Pakistan was in the 2019 World Cup. Babar contributed 48 off 57 balls, which remains his highest score against India in the 50-over format.