Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik criticized Pakistan batsman Babar Azam for his shot selection during the T20 World Cup 2026 match in Colombo. Karthik said that the comparison between Babar and Virat Kohli is unfair, adding that he cannot imagine Kohli playing such a poor shot at the beginning of the innings.
On Sunday, February 16, R. Pakistan lost by 61 runs against India at the Premadasa Stadium. Chasing 176, the Men in Green lost three wickets inside the first two overs, putting the team under immense pressure. Babar tried a slog sweep against Axar Patel, missed the ball completely and was bowled.
Babar could score only five runs in seven balls and his dismissal left Pakistan in trouble. The Men in Green had slipped to 34/4 during the fifth over of the run chase.
Can’t imagine Virat Kohli playing that shot – Dinesh Karthik criticizes Babar Azam
While talking on Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik shared his views on Babar Azam’s batting. Karthik said that the long running comparison between Babar and Virat Kohli makes no sense to him. He said the dismissal reflected a lack of trust at a critical moment.
“There have been comparisons between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam for a long time, which I find unfair. I can’t imagine Virat Kohli playing that many shots at the beginning of the innings,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
“It’s dedication and not believing in what it takes to win and how to take your team closer to victory. It takes courage to say wickets are falling, so let me play good cricket shots,” he said.
‘Babar should not be compared with Virat Kohli in any way’@dineshkarthik & @jinkyarahane88 Compare both players on Cricbuzz Live#T20WorldCup #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/bXzY889V8B
– Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) 16 February 2026
There is pressure on Babar Azam to keep his place – Dinesh Karthik
Karthik said that Virat Kohli would have looked for a single and would keep rotating the strike. The commentator said that withstanding pressure and guiding the team through difficult moments defines greatness. He said that Babar Azam is capable of doing much better and he feels that he lacks confidence.
Karthik further said, “That shot showed that he is under pressure to keep his place. It is a shot against his thinking. That is not what you see in great players. Virat Kohli would have found a way to take a run and get the other batsman on strike and would have said that my being here will really define whether we win this game or not. Absorbing the pressure is what creates greatness.”
“That was a very weak shot from Babar. He is better than him. The conviction and belief was not there in Babar. The pressure of being the best in the world is weighing on him because right now, he is not. He is not even close to being the best in the world. Why do we rate Virat Kohli so high? Because whenever he played against Pakistan, he delivered. Under pressure, that man stands up. That is why he is considered the greatest ever.”
There is no comparison between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli – Ajinkya Rahane
Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane described Virat Kohli as the greatest across all formats. Rahane said that Babar had a chance to build his innings before accelerating but he failed to do so, making any comparison unnecessary.
“All great players have an awareness of the game. There is no comparison between Babar and Virat. Virat is the greatest player across all formats. He was very good in every situation, read it and played accordingly. This was a chance for Babar to take his time and gradually increase the pace after the 13th or 14th over. There should be no comparison between Virat and Babar,” Rahane said (via the above source).
Babar has struggled to handle the pressure in the India-Pakistan T20Is and has averaged just 22 in six innings in these matches. In comparison, Virat maintained an excellent average of 70.28 in 11 T20I matches.
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