Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra feels Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Babar Azam has the potential to reach the level of Indian run-machine Virat Kohli.
The two modern-day greats are often compared with each other by fans as well as cricketing experts for the remarkable consistency they have shown.
However, Chopra noted that it will take time for incredibly talented Babar Azam to reach the level at which Kohli has been operating for a long time now.
“Babar Azam is an exciting talent. There is no doubt about that. It is also true that Virat Kohli is very far ahead in this race. He is older and started cricket before Azam. Virat’s name is already included in the conversation of all-time greats,” Chopra told former Pakistan cricketer Tanvir Ahmed on the latter’s YouTube channel ‘Tanveer Says’.
“Azam has the necessary skills to reach that level. But the real question is whether he will be able to reach those heights as it depends on many things such as discipline, injuries, form and several other factors which will come along as time moves on.
“Talent can only take you to a place but you ought to have that incredible passion that drives you forward. Virat did not have that from the start but gained it along the way,” he added.
Recently, Azam himself had addressed such comparisons and stated that he would rather like to be compared with some of the top-class batsmen that have worn the jersey of Pakistan in the past.