Virat Kohli admits Babar Azam is the top batter in the world ahead of Asia Cup 2023

The cricketing world is gearing up for the two biggest upcoming multilateral events – the Asia Cup ODI 2023 and the ODI World Cup 2023. Another major factor why these tournaments are so exciting and anticipated is rare India vs Pakistan clash. The two teams do not participate in bilateral series given the geopolitical differences among the two nations. But multilateral events are the rare occasions when the arch-rivals lock horns. The clashes in the two upcoming tournaments are also enjoying a similar status in the buildup.

Talking of the buildup, a shocking admission has garnered attention from the fans. Star India batter Virat Kohli has admitted that Babar Azam is currently the top batter in the world across formats. “We sat down and spoke about the game. I saw a lot of regard and respect from him from day one, and that hasn’t changed,” Kohli said in a recent interaction with Star Sports. “Regardless of the fact he’s probably the top batsman in the world across formats, and rightly so,” added Kohli.

India will open their Asia Cup campaign against Pakistan on September 2

Notably, there is a possibility of three India vs Pakistan clashes in the upcoming Asia Cup ODI 2023. First, in the group stage game on September 2 in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This will also be India’s tournament opener while Pakistan would have played their first game in the tournament opener vs Nepal. The two other possible clashes could be in the Super Four stages and the final, both are subject to the qualification of the two teams.

Talking of the ODI World Cup 2023, the headliner clash between India and Pakistan was preponed to October 14 from the originally scheduled date of October 15. This was done because the date coincided with the Hindu festival of ‘Navratri’. The match will be hosted by the largest cricket stadium in the world, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Notably, Navratri is the primary festival in Gujarat and there could be security concerns if the dates did coincide, like they did as per the previous schedule.