‘Can’t imagine Virat doing that’: Dinesh Karthik calls out Babar’s ‘submission’ shot vs India, rejects Kohli comparison

Dinesh Karthik lambasted Babar Azam for his horrendous shot against India, saying the time has come for the Virat Kohli comparisons to stop.

Babar Azam, the former Pakistan captain, continues to face the wrath of fans and pundits alike for his horrendous slog of the bowling of Axar Patel in the T20 World Cup Group A match against India at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Pakistan, led by Salman Ali Agha, faced a 61-hammering at the hands of India, and the head-to-head record between the two teams went from bad to worse for the Green Shirts in the T20 World Cup. For a long time now, Babar has constantly been likened to Virat Kohli, but Dinesh Karthik feels that the comparisons have to stop.

Dinesh Karthik lambasted Babar Azam for his horrendous shot against India (PTI)

In the T20 World Cup match against India, Pakistan lost three wickets in the first two overs and were reeling in the chase of 176. The chance was there for Babar to prove his critics wrong and take his team at least close to a victory. But just moments later, he played a horrific shot off the bowling of Axar, going for an ugly hoike only to see his stumps being rattled. This resulted in him walking back to the pavilion for just five.

Karthik, the former India batter, said that Kohli would never have played a shot like that if India were under such pressure. He also said that Babar is nowhere close to being the best batter in the world, and all the chatter about him should stop for now.

"For a long time now, there has been a comparison which I find unfair, but let me use that now. Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. I cannot imagine Virat Kohli playing that shot that early in the innings. That is submission. It is not having belief in what it takes to win or how to take your team closer to victory. That wild slog from Babar Azam showed he wanted to keep up with the run rate, and that is not what he does normally," Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

“That absorption of pressure is what makes greatness. Every game cannot be easy, where you just come and play a few shots. When I look at Babar Azam, I feel that conviction and belief weren't there. He's nowhere close to being the best in the world, I think Abhishek Sharma is the best in the world currently,” he added.

Will Babar be dropped?

After Pakistan's defeat against India, several Pakistani media reports claimed that Babar and Shaheen Afridi might be dropped for the crucial T20 World Cup game against Namibia on Wednesday.

Shaheen has also been off colour of late. In the match against India, he bowled only two overs, leaking 31 runs, single-handedly ensuring that India managed to post the score of 175 on the board.

However, on the eve of the game against Namibia, Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq jumped to the duo's defence, saying the team management has full faith in them.

If Pakistan lose to Namibia, their T20 World Cup campaign would end, and the USA would qualify for the Super 8s.