‘One obviously in his prime younger but…’ – Sanjay Manjrekar opines about Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam debate

The comparisons between players in the modern era of cricket are nothing new as the fans always seem to compare players who tend to do great. Virat Kohli and the legendary Sachin Tendulkar have recently been compared, while Kohli and Pakistan captain Babar Azam are frequently contrasted. Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar addressed the issue, saying that sometimes it is unfair to Sachin or even Kohli because they have demonstrated their abilities for years while Babar is climbing the ladder to stardom.

The 58-year-old continued by saying that Virat and Babar are both excellent cricketers, but he thinks the former India captain has an advantage because he has long dominated the ODI format. Manjrekar is therefore supporting Kohli ahead of the ODI World Cup but anticipates the comparison to persist in the following two major events.

Yes, both very good players: Sanjay Manjrekar

“Absolutely, and we can expect that to happen again. Just one thing that you know people like Tendulkar and Virat Kohli have had to deal with that they’ve had long careers and they sort of have spanned over 10 to 15 years and anytime there’s been a rising star, he’s been compared to a guy who’s been in the race for a long time. So sometimes it can be a little unfair but the greatness of these two guys is that they maintain that standard that the best performance of a rising player is equated with it,” Manjrekar stated while talking to Star Sports.

“Yes, both very good players. One, obviously, in his prime younger but coming to these kinds of platform we want to say Virat Kohli and see with the format that we have here not the T20 format, Asia Cup this time round you might just see a bit of Babar Azam and maybe show his place as well,” he added.

The India vs. Pakistan clash is one of the most anticipated clashes in the history of the sport especially after both India and Pakistan have stopped playing the bilateral series. In the upcoming Asia Cup 2023, the Indian team will be taking on Pakistan on September 2 at Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium.