It has repeatedly been said about cricket that it is a game and not a religion, but time and again, right from Sir Don Bradman to Sachin Tendulkar, no time is wasted in declaring a "king." However, at its very core, the dynamics change—on top of that perch of the throne isn't forever. For quite some years now, whenever one speaks of the term "King of Cricket," two names obviously crop up: Babar Azam and Virat Kohli. We shall dissect the marvelous careers of these two modern giants of cricket with a view to consider both the pros and cons of each case while eyeing the most coveted title.
Babar Azam
The Emerging Pakistani Star
This young Pakistani batting sensation has taken the cricketing world by storm—few people have done so. On 15th October 1994, in Lahore, Pakistan, the rise of Babar from a kid with talent to an international superstar only goes to show that his career graph can only be termed nothing less than a fairy tale.
Babar's Early Days
He came from a family where this game wasn't some far-fetched dream. He was initiated into the game by two professional cricketer cousins, Kamran and Umar Akmal, when he was twelve. He made his debut in 2010 for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited. Stylish stroke play soon followed, added to which was his effective ability to read through the game at times;
International Debut and Rise
He was knocking on the doors of the Pakistan national team not long after, his name harbored in the list of emerging talents from an early age. He made his T20 International debut against Zimbabwe in 2015 and was soon followed by his ODI debut. Actually, hardly was he required to put in lot of time to become the leading run-scorer in Pakistan due to technically sound batting, ease in playing both pace and spin with equal ease, and his acknowledged composed nature under pressure. He was termed the new Javed Miandad or Inzamam of Pakistan.
Captaincy was an addition to that feather in his cap. The confirmation and crowning of Babar Azam as captain of Pakistan's T20Is happened post-2019, and later, he was crowned captain of the ODI team too. With this strength as a batter, he promises to be a fine leader, getting into the zone of being a good leader.
Consistency and Records
Babar Azam has been consistent throughout his career. With an average in the high forties across all formats, he more or less finds himself in most lists going around about the most reliable batters across world cricket today. Grace in his classy drives on the covers and wristy flicks evokes awe among followers and fans from all over the world.
Virat Kohli
The Indian Run-Machine
Another synonymous name, quite often called the second "King of Cricket," was that of Virat Kohli—India's modern and contemporary run-machine. Born on November 5, 1988, in Delhi, India, he thereby exploded to life a most sensational career in cricket.
Kohli's Early Days
The passion for cricket was raging in the veins of Virat Kohli right from his childhood. He was a very aggressive and fierce competitor at school. Building a reputation up the junior ranks of Delhi's cricket, he was claimed to be a talented batsman who could have chased down virtually any total. Soon he was noticed and made his first-class debut for Delhi in 2006.
International Debut and Rise
Kohli made his international debut in the ODI against Sri Lanka in August 2008, while his Test debut came in 2011. He hardly wasted any time before he got established as one of the world's premier batsmen. What marked Kohli apart was his insatiable hunger for runs and the ability to adapt to different formats of the game.
Captaincy and Achievements
The leadership journey of Virat Kohli began when he was announced as the captain of the Indian Cricket Team for limited-overs cricket way back in the year 2013. He subsequently took over as the captain of the Indian Test Team in the year 2015 and saw the Indian national team win many historic Tests on home and away soil. Kohli led in his inimitably aggressive, relentless, and sang froid style.
Records Galore
His lifetime records and milestones dotted his career, for he held a lot of records across formats: most in ODIs; fastest to 8000, 9000, and 10000 runs in ODIs; most by an Indian in Test cricket; and an equal number of double centuries. His hungry desire and commitment toward fitness made him a modern-day cricketing legend.
Comparing the Titans
Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli
Enriched is the revitalized battle between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli for being named "King of Cricket," as both players bring in something different with their strengths. Some key separating features among them have been highlighted in the following heads.
Batting Prowess
Both Babar Azam and Virat Kohli were talented batsmen who had every range of shots at their command. In contrast, Babar was all elegance personified; each time he takes to wielding the willow, poise simply oozes out of every pore. Comparisons of classic Pakistani batsmen come naturally with Kohli as a complete contrast in style—a revelation, aggressive, and an ability for target-chasing, which has made him the ultimate thing in modern cricket. Now, to create a clash of styles; both are equally good and excel in their own right.
Consistency
It is a mark of greatness, and both are showing the feature very well. Of course, Babar in such a tender age impresses everyone with this feature by having a high average in all the formats of the game. In comparison, Kohli has set consoling standard-shattering marks of consistency, making hundreds almost at will and piling up monster runs consistently year after year.
Captaincy
Though both Babar Azam and Virat Kohli captained the two countries too, it was in varying degrees of success. While Babar might have become a recent captain, Kohli had led his country to many historical progressive wins successfully in Test cricket itself, like winning a maiden series in Australia back in 2018-2019. One very outstanding criterion in determining the rightful "King of Cricket" is the aspect of leadership, and Kohli has that over the former. Mind you, it is along with laurels.
Records
The records of Virat Kohli simply speak for themselves. Be it the versatility of the chase or the prolific nature of hundreds, Kohli has done enough in a manner that his name should be etched in the annals of cricket whenever. There lies a huge gap that separates where Babar Azam is magnificent from with regard to record books.
Impact on the Game
It's not in the numbers a player puts on the ground; it's the impact he puts into a match. Virat Kohli created a storm through his attacking style, charisma, and leadership skills, and took cricket to new heights in the history of Indian as well as world cricket. Had ever been there a question mark on Babar Azam, the new lustrous talent in world batting? The elegance combined with cool body language left no looking back for Azam but still a long way to go and to be the boss of the game internationally.
Conclusion
One picture that comes to everybody's mind when it comes to debate is as to who should be awarded the sobriquet "King of Cricket" between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli. Now, this would have made for an interesting comparison since both were uniquely different and brought much to their respective teams. Virat Kohli's record, added to the leadership skills, gives him a small edge in this debate, but the potential and elegance of Babar Azam make it quite.
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