Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli — the comparison that divides cricket. Stats across formats, head-to-head records, big-match temperament, and the honest verdict as of 2026.
Quick answer: Head-to-head, Kohli dominates: 70.28 average vs Pakistan in T20Is (492 runs) against Babar’s 22.00 vs India (110 runs). Kohli’s MCG 2022 82* is the rivalry’s greatest innings; Babar’s best remains his 68* in the 2021 win.
T20I Head-to-Head
Babar vs India: 6 matches, 110 runs, avg 22.00, SR 123.59 — scores of 68*, 10, 14, 0, 13, 5. Kohli vs Pakistan: 11 matches, 492 runs, avg 70.28, five fifties — including 82* (MCG 2022), 78 (2012), 55* (2016). The gap is stark and widening.
Career Comparison
Babar is the all-time leading T20I run-scorer — a phenomenal accumulator whose 2016–2022 peak (averaging 40+ across formats) invited the Fab Four talk. Kohli owned the 2010s as the world’s best chaser across formats, retired from T20Is after winning the 2024 World Cup and from Tests in May 2025. Both declined post-2023 — but Kohli’s big-match bank was already full.
Under Pressure
This is where comparisons end, as Irfan Pathan noted after February 2026: Kohli’s MCG chase from an impossible position vs Babar’s 5 off 7 (bowled slog-sweeping Axar) in Colombo. One absorbs pressure and finishes; the other, too often against India, doesn’t.
The Verdict
Babar remains a great batter with a fading comparison. Kohli is the greater player — proven where it matters most. Babar’s route back into the debate: a match-winning knock against India, the one entry missing from his CV. More duels in our rivalry pillar guide.
Is Babar Azam better than Virat Kohli?
On overall T20I run-scoring, Babar leads the all-time charts. On head-to-head record, big-match impact and career achievement, Kohli is clearly ahead.
What is Babar Azam’s record against India?
110 runs in 6 T20Is at 22.00 — one fifty (68* in the 2021 win), then 10, 14, 0, 13, 5.
Related Rivalry Guides
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