With India set open their Asia Cup 2022 campaign against Pakistan on Sunday, focus of fans and experts will be on Virat Kohli. The veteran batter will be returning to action after almost a month-long break, which saw him miss India's tours of West Indies and Zimbabwe. He will be aiming to get past his poor form and put in a good display at the Dubai International Stadium, in Dubai. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Kohli's Test teammate Cheteshwar Pujara was asked to choose between the former India captain and Babar Azam, as to who would have a bigger impact on the upcoming match.
Pujara replied, "Obviously Virat Kohli. The runs he has scored for us, is very good. But then the form Babar Azam is in, it will be hard to take his wicket. We will need to work hard. The way he has been performing, he is a top player."
Kohli last featured for India in the England tour, where he struggled and could only muster 33 runs in two ODIs and 12 runs in as many T20Is. He was also rested for the South Africa home series and tour of Ireland. The upcoming game will be his 100th T20I appearance for India and he will become the 14th cricketer to achieve such a milestone and second from India, after none other than Rohit Sharma. Rohit is on top of the list with 132 appearances.
Babar has been in swashbuckling form this year and has played 10 white-ball matches (only one T20I), registering a fifty-plus score in nine of those fixtures. He has hammered six half-centuries (five in ODIs and one in T20Is) and three centuries. He also ended up as the highest run-scorer for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup last year, where his side impressed with a semi-final finish. They also defeated India in their opener, winning by 10 wickets.
{{/usCountry}}Babar has been in swashbuckling form this year and has played 10 white-ball matches (only one T20I), registering a fifty-plus score in nine of those fixtures. He has hammered six half-centuries (five in ODIs and one in T20Is) and three centuries. He also ended up as the highest run-scorer for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup last year, where his side impressed with a semi-final finish. They also defeated India in their opener, winning by 10 wickets.
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