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Cricket Players'If Babar was asked what he wanted to become when he grew up, he'd say, Virat Kohli': Chopra ahead of Ind-Pak T20 WC tie
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra said Virat Kohli is the “ultimate champion” and while Babar Azam is a “brilliant” player, he is yet to reach the Indian captain's level.
India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening game of the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai on Sunday. The match will mark the first meeting of Virat Kohli and Babar Azam as captains of their respective sides. The last time Kohli and Babar faced each other was during a 2019 World Cup group stage game.
Both the batters are widely regarded as two of the best in modern-day cricket, and the clash between India and Pakistan has yet again ignited comparisons between the two.
On his official YouTube channel, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra talked in detail about the two captains, and also roped in former cricketers from both sides to talk on multiple sub-plots ahead of the high-voltage clash.
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Rashid Latif believes that Babar Azam is "equal" to Kohli on current form.
"On stats, Virat Kohli is way ahead of Babar Azam. But the way Babar has performed in the recent past, he is equal to Kohli," said Rashid Latif.
"It is difficult to say who is better because both are greats in their craft," Latif added further.
Chopra, meanwhile, had a contrasting view. The former cricketer believes that the Indian captain is the "ultimate champion" of the game and Babar hasn't reached Kohli's level just yet.
"No disrespect. But if you had asked Babar what he wanted to become when he grew up, his reply would be, 'I want to be like Virat Kohli'. This is where they are right now. Kohli is the ultimate champion, no.1 batter in all three formats and T20s is no different. Babar is brilliant, I've great respect for him and I admire him a lot, but Kohli is way ahead. Babar can reach him, but he is not at that level right now," said Chopra.
Deep Dasgupta and Parthiv Patel, the other Indian experts on Chopra's YouTube show shared his viewpoint, while also lauding Babar on his incredible consistency this year. Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal, meanwhile, said that it's all about handling pressure on the big day, and the one who does that efficiently will eventually prevail.
