Babar Azam’s Century Drought: The Virat Kohli Comparison That’s Breaking Pakistan Cricket’s Golden Boy

Look, I get it. When you’re trying to build up your cricket star, comparing him to the best in the business seems like a smart move. But here’s the thing—sometimes those comparisons can absolutely wreck a player’s confidence, and we’re watching it happen in real-time with Babar Azam.

The Pakistan cricket sensation, once hailed as the answer to India’s Virat Kohli, is now drowning in a sea of expectations that frankly, nobody should have to swim in. And honestly? It’s getting painful to watch.

The Numbers Don’t Lie (And They’re Not Pretty)

Let’s talk cold, hard facts here. Babar hasn’t scored an international century in over 70 innings. Seventy. That’s not a slump—that’s practically a career crisis. His last three-figure score came against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup, which, let’s be real, isn’t exactly the most intimidating opposition.

The recent ODI series against the West Indies was particularly brutal. Babar managed a whopping 56 runs across three games, including a golden duck that had fans wondering if they were watching the same player who once dominated world cricket. With scores of 47, 0, and 9, he’s now slipped from second place in the ICC ODI batting rankings, overtaken by India’s Rohit Sharma. Talk about adding insult to injury.

Since that Nepal century, Babar has scored 2,139 runs at an average of 31.45 across all formats. Those are decent numbers for your average county player, but for someone constantly compared to Virat Kohli? They’re downright embarrassing.

When Comparisons Become Cruel

Former Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad recently dropped some truth bombs that had me nodding along. He pointed out the obvious—these constant comparisons with Kohli are absolutely destroying Babar’s mental game.

“When everything was going well, you were running campaigns comparing players. Now that the performances are not coming, you are saying ‘don’t compare two players’. Why not?” Shehzad said, and honestly, the man has a point.

But here’s where Shehzad gets brutally honest: “Virat Kohli’s comparison cannot be made with anyone in the world. He is a legend of this generation, a role model. You cannot compare him even with MS Dhoni.”

Ouch. That’s got to sting for Babar supporters, but it’s the harsh reality. Kohli is in a league of his own, and expecting Babar to match those standards was always going to be a recipe for disaster.

The Pressure Cooker Effect

What’s really frustrating here is how predictable this whole situation was. The cricket world loves its narratives, and the “Pakistan’s Kohli” storyline was too juicy to resist. But nobody stopped to think about what this constant comparison would do to a young player’s psyche.

Shehzad nailed it when he said, “No one should be compared with anyone because it’s unfair and it adds extra pressure, which we are now seeing on Babar Azam.” The guy is literally carrying the weight of an entire nation’s expectations, plus the impossible task of matching one of cricket’s all-time greats.

Remember when Kohli himself went through a century drought from 2020 to 2022? Even the King struggled, and he had years of dominance behind him to fall back on. Babar doesn’t have that luxury—he’s been under the microscope from day one.

The Test Cricket Nightmare

If you think Babar’s overall stats are concerning, his Test cricket form will give you nightmares. The man hasn’t scored a Test century in three years. Three years! Since his last Test hundred against New Zealand in December 2022, he’s averaged a measly 23.60, managing just 590 runs in 25 innings.

That’s not just poor form—that’s a complete collapse of confidence and technique. When you’re supposed to be your country’s premier batsman and you can’t buy a run in the longest format, something is seriously wrong.

The T20 Axing: Rock Bottom?

Perhaps the most telling sign of how far Babar has fallen is his exclusion from Pakistan’s T20I squad. Despite having surpassed Kohli’s T20I run tally last year (4,223 runs, sitting behind only Rohit Sharma), the selectors decided they’d seen enough.

Getting dropped from the format where you hold records? That’s got to mess with your head. It’s like being told you’re not good enough at the thing you’re supposedly best at.

The Media Machine’s Role

Let’s be honest about the media’s role in this mess. Every time Babar played a decent innings, the headlines screamed about Pakistan’s answer to Kohli. Every time he failed, those same comparisons were used to beat him over the head.

The cricket media loves creating these David vs. Goliath narratives, but they rarely consider the human cost. Babar became a victim of his own hype, and now we’re watching the fallout in real-time.

What Went Wrong?

The fundamental problem here is that Pakistan cricket tried to manufacture a superstar instead of letting one develop naturally. Babar had genuine talent—his technique was sound, his temperament seemed solid, and he had the hunger to succeed. But instead of allowing him to carve out his own identity, they immediately thrust him into Kohli’s shadow.

It’s like trying to create the next Michael Jordan by constantly comparing every promising basketball player to His Airness. The pressure becomes suffocating, and instead of inspiring greatness, it breeds anxiety and self-doubt.

The Human Element

What gets lost in all the statistics and analysis is the human side of this story. Babar is a 30-year-old man who’s been carrying impossible expectations for years. Every innings is scrutinized, every failure is magnified, and every success is immediately compared to someone else’s achievements.

The guy can’t even enjoy a good knock without someone asking why it wasn’t as good as Kohli’s latest masterpiece. That’s not just unfair—it’s psychologically damaging.

Looking Forward: Can Babar Recover?

The question now is whether Babar can dig himself out of this hole. History suggests it’s possible—plenty of great players have overcome extended lean patches. But first, Pakistan cricket needs to stop treating him like a failed experiment and start treating him like a human being who needs support.

The upcoming T20I tri-series in the UAE and the Asia Cup 2025 could be crucial for his confidence. But honestly? The best thing that could happen to Babar right now would be for everyone to stop mentioning Kohli’s name in the same sentence as his.

Let the man find his own way back to form without the constant weight of comparison crushing his spirit. Because right now, we’re not just watching a cricket career in decline—we’re witnessing what happens when unrealistic expectations meet human reality.