When Babar Azam made his international debut in May 2015, Virat Kohli had already become a big figure in world cricket, having won major tournaments such as the ODI World Cup and the Champions Trophy. He was also voted Player of the Tournament at the 2014 T20 World Cup. As Babar began to score runs consistently for Pakistan, several members of the cricket community began to compare him to Kohli.

Former Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad believes that this comparison has been damaging to Babar since it has increased his pressure to perform consistently. Shehzad claimed that Kohli cannot be compared to any other cricketer.

According to the cricketer-turned-expert, even the legendary MS Dhoni isn’t a better hitter or athlete than Virat Kohli.

“When everything was going well, you were running campaigns comparing players. Now that the performances are not coming, you are saying ‘don’t compare two players’. Why not? Virat Kohli’s comparison cannot be made with anyone in the world. He is a legend of this generation, a role model. You cannot compare him even with MS Dhoni. Dhoni may have been a great captain, but as a batter, cricketer, and athlete, Kohli stands alone. No one should be compared with anyone because it’s unfair and it adds extra pressure, which we are now seeing on Babar Azam,” Shehzad was quoted as saying by GeoSuper.

Babar Azam has been going through a rather long lean patch in international cricket. The dismal performances have seen him losing his place in the Test and T20I sides. While he did manage to make a comeback to the Test setup during the home series against the West Indies in January 2025, he hasn’t played T20I cricket since December 2024.