Cricket World Cup 2023: 'Babar Azam and Others Should Learn from Virat Kohli'

Virat Kohli has started the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign with a string of impressive performances. In four innings, Kohli has scored a century and two half-centuries to be placed third in the list of top run-getters of the tournament so far.

In India’s tournament opener, Kohli combined with KL Rahul to put up a rescue act against Australia after the hosts were reduced to 2/3 in 2 overs, chasing 200 in Chennai. He followed that with an unbeaten half-century against Afghanistan.

Against Pakistan, Kohli was out for 16 but not before unfurling a couple of gorgeous drives for boundaries. He then ended his eight-year wait for a world cup century when he made an unbeaten 103 in another successful chase against Bangladesh in Pune.

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In a stark contrast, Babar Azam, who often is compared with Kohli because of his consistency across formats, has managed just one half-century across four innings of the ongoing world cup.

And Babar is facing a lot of criticism for his below-par performance so far.

Spin legend Harbhajan Singh says Kohli’s peers need to learn from him as the India star has scored runs in different situation and conditions while calling him a modern-day legend.

“Kohli is a modern day legend without a question . Scored runs in every situation and conditions and won game for India .. Babar and many others should learn from King kohli baat khatam . Koi shak anyone ? (Others should learn from King Kohli case closed. Any doubts?),” Harbhajan posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Kohli and Team India will return to action in Dharamsala on Sunday when they face New Zealand in a top-of-the-table clash.

New Zealand have presented a stiff challenge to India at ICC events and Kohli says it’s because they are a very structured and consistent team.

“They (New Zealand) are a very professional side and a very structured side, they have a very structured way of playing their cricket,” Kohli told Star Sports. “But within that structure, they have been very consistent, and that has been the reason for their success.”

“Credit to the side for the way that they are playing. Any team that plays against them has to find a way to break their rhythm and play to the best of their abilities, which will eventually decide whether you can cope up with their consistency or not because they are not a team that makes many mistakes. That’s been their strength, and at the international level, if you don’t make many mistakes, then you have a good chance of winning the game more often,” he added.