The evolution of T20 cricket has brought about an array of innovative shots, providing fans with thrilling entertainment.
Despite the diversity of strokes, the cover drive stands out for its timeless elegance, leaving both spectators and opponents in awe.
In contemporary cricket, the mastery of the cover drive has become a distinguishing feature, with Steve Smith, Virat Kohli and Babar Azam emerging as its virtuosos. Their impeccable execution of this shot has not only garnered admiration but has also sparked debates and divisions among cricketing enthusiasts, who passionately support their respective favourites.
In a recent conversation with the fans on X, Babar was asked who he thinks has the best cover drive in international cricket apart from him.
The Pakistan legend replied: "(Steve) Smith".
A Babar Fan Asked : "aapko sabse acchi cover drive kiski lagti hai"
— 🌸🦋 RiYa 🦋🌸 (@iamriyadwivedi2) February 1, 2024
Babar : "steve smith"
That means Virat Kohli's cover drive has no value for Babar Azam 🤨 pic.twitter.com/3whsxW7OBy
However, it must be remembered that Smith expressed a clear preference for Virat's cover drive over Babar's earlier in 2023. The right-handed Australian, speaking to ESPNCricinfo, confidently deemed Virat's cover drive as the best in the business without any hesitation.
The on-drive, with its grace and precision, remains a symbol of batting excellence and a testament to the skill and artistry that these modern-day maestros bring to the game.
Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: Who has more international runs?
Being the senior one, Virat Kohli made his international Test debut in 2011, five years before Babar Azam. The former Indian skipper has played more than 100 Test matches in his career scoring 8416 runs.
In ODIs, Kohli has close to 13,000 runs, 8000 more than Azam's tally. In T20Is, though, the Pakistani batsman is slowly closing on his rival despite starting his career six years after the Indian star.
In Tests
| Player | Matches | Runs | S.R | Highest Score | Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 113 | 8848 | 55.56 | 254* | 49.15 |
| Babar Azam | 52 | 3898 | 54.86 | 196 | 45.85 |
In ODIs
| Player | Matches | Runs | S.R | Highest Score | Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 292 | 13,848 | 93.58 | 183 | 58.67 |
| Babar Azam | 117 | 5729 | 88.75 | 158 | 56.72 |
In T20Is
| Player | Matches | Runs | S.R | Highest Score | Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 117 | 4008 | 137.96 | 122* | 52.73 |
| Babar Azam | 109 | 3698 | 129.12 | 122 | 41.55 |
Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: Who has more international centuries?
When it comes to scoring centuries in international cricket, Virat Kohli is only second to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Tendulkar is the only batsman in the history of the sport to score 100 international centuries. Kohli is currently 25 short of the legend's tally.
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In terms of overall international centuries, Babar Azam is nowhere close to the Indian's record as he has 80 hundreds to his name. Although, the Pakistani skipper has scored more T20I centuries than the former Indian captain.
In Tests
| Player | Matches | Centuries |
|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 113 | 29 |
| Babar Azam | 52 | 9 |
In ODIs
| Player | Matches | Centuries |
|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 292 | 50 |
| Babar Azam | 117 | 19 |
In T20Is
| Player | Matches | Centuries |
|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 115 | 1 |
| Babar Azam | 109 | 3 |
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