Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: Who is better and the batting GOAT? The stats comparison

In the ongoing debate over who is the better batsman between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, statistical comparison reveals distinct patterns in their international and domestic cricket careers. Kohli, a seasoned Indian cricketer, has played in all three international formats but has announced his retirement from Test and T20 Internationals. Conversely, Azam continues to represent Pakistan in all formats.

Kohli's international Test debut was in 2011, five years before Azam made his debut. Kohli has played more than 100 Tests, scoring 9,230 runs, while Azam has played 66 Tests, accumulating 4,771 runs. In ODIs, Kohli has amassed over 15,000 runs, compared to Azam's 6,744 runs. In T20Is, Azam has scored more runs than Kohli, despite starting his career six years later.

When it comes to international centuries, Kohli is close to Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 centuries, trailing by only 14. Azam has more T20I centuries than Kohli but has only 9 international centuries in total. For double centuries in Test matches, Kohli is the leader with seven, while Azam has not yet achieved this feat.

In terms of World Cup performances, Kohli has played in four ODI World Cups and six T20 World Cups, scoring significantly more runs in both formats. Azam, while performing well in the ODI World Cups, has scored fewer runs in T20 World Cups. When it comes to the IPL and PSL, both players have excelled, with Kohli leading in IPL runs and Azam scoring more in the PSL.

Overall, while Kohli has a slight edge in international centuries and World Cup performances, Azam's consistency in T20Is and PSL success makes him a formidable contender in his own right.