“I will pick Virat Kohli [ahead of Babar Azam in T20Is]”- Saba Karim settles debate between Indian star & Pakistan captain

Former India selector Saba Karim has picked senior Indian batter Virat Kohli over Pakistan captain Babar Azam as his first-choice batter in T20Is. He feels that the former India captain has scored runs in almost every World Cup, barring the previous edition in the UAE.

Karim labeled Kohli as a player for high-pressure matches. He mentioned that the batter performed in all fixtures against Pakistan, while also delivering against big teams like Australia.

Speaking to India News Sports, he said:

“If we talk about experience, I’ll pick Virat Kohli [ahead of Babar Azam in T20s]. He has played a lot of World Cup(s). I’ve seen him from close quarters during the 2016 T20 World Cup.

"If I remember, he was the only batter who contributed in every match. Kohli played a lot of match-winning knocks and scored runs according to the situation's demands.”

He added:

“He has scored runs in every World Cup except in the last edition of T20WC [in UAE]. He scored runs against Pakistan in every match and big teams like Australia.

"He has played with responsibility at No.3 at a decent strike rate. It shows that Virat Kohli is ahead in high-pressure matches.”

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“The only consideration is Virat Kohli and KL Rahul’s form”- Saba Karim

The former wicket-keeper said that the only area of consideration for India in the Asia Cup is Virat Kohli and KL Rahul’s form. He feels that the team management will be hoping that the duo finally deliver in the tournament.

He said:

“If we look at our camp, we have excellent players like Suryakumar Yadav.

"The only consideration for Team India is that the likes of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are not in peak form at the top of the order. Team management will want to get them back at scoring runs in Asia Cup.”

KL Rahul failed to prove his mettle in the recently concluded Zimbabwe tour. He registered poor scores of 1 and 30 in the two ODIs after missing over six months of international cricket due to a knee injury and COVID-19.

Kohli, on the other hand, is all set to return after a five-week break. The former captain was rested for the West Indies and Zimbabwe tours following a rough patch against England. He scored only 12 runs in two T20Is and 33 runs in a couple of ODIs in the England tour.