Asia Cup 2025: Can Babar Azam end his century drought and deliver a Kohli-level comeback?
Virat Kohli and Babar Azam have played against each other in seven matches across both ODIs and T20Is.
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Since ACC announced the schedule of the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, set to begin from September 9 to 28 in the UAE, the much-anticipated tournament is making headlines. The blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan on September 14 is one of the most looked-forward-to clashes of the year. With both teams likely to advance from the group stage, fans could possibly witness up to three India-Pakistan encounters in the tournament. For Pakistan, the tournament is significant for their batting superstar Babar Azam.
Reasons behind Babar Azam’s lean patch
Once considered one of the most consistent batters in world cricket, Babar is now suffering from an extended lean patch. It’s been 28 innings and 711 days since his last international century, scored in August 2023 against Nepal. However, with the tournament approaching, many fans are now questioning whether Babar Azam can end his century drought and deliver a Kohli-level comeback.
The right-handed batter has scored 18 fifties in his last 71 innings across formats. Notably, his highest score during this period is 81, and he has been dismissed for five ducks in ODIs, including a recent three-ball duck against the West Indies. A few factors which has contributed to this slump have been technical concerns, the pressure of expectations as Pakistan’s former captain and batting stalwart, shifting roles in the team’s batting order, and possible mental fatigue from the packed cricketing calendar.
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Virat Kohli's memorable comeback
Meanwhile, star Indian batter Virat Kohli’s rough run between November 2019 and September 2022 also had many eyeballs. During that period, Kohli went 71 innings without a century, despite regularly scoring fifties. Ex-cricketers and fans had wondered whether he had lost his touch. But at the 2022 Asia Cup, Kohli produced one of his most memorable knocks with an unbeaten 122 off 61 balls against Afghanistan, his first T20I century. That innings not only broke the drought but once again lifted his career. Over the next year, Kohli went on to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries during the 2023 ODI World Cup, eventually becoming the first batter to score 51 ODI hundreds.
Comparing Babar Azam and Virat Kohli's bad form
Azam’s current situation is similar to that of Kohli’s pre-2022 struggles in several ways, including plenty of starts but no big scores, external pressure, and comparisons to past form. The 30-year-old must be mentally ready for the Asia Cup, rather than overthinking about the form slump and trophy drought.
Both the batters faced 70+ innings without a ton and suffered immense outside pressure during the phase. However, Kohli’s Asia Cup hundred was not a one-off as it triggered a series of record-breaking performances. For Babar to replicate that, he must use the Asia Cup as a platform and follow it up with consistent big scores. Notably, one difference between the duo is their strike rates. While Kohli, even during his drought, maintained an ODI strike rate above 90. But Babar has sometimes been criticised for slowing down in the middle overs.
What does Babar need to do for a comeback?
Notably, Kohli’s 2022 ton came in this tournament, and Babar himself last scored an international hundred at the 2023 Asia Cup. Playing in the UAE will be to his benefit, considering the amount of cricket played here. With India vs Pakistan potentially happening up to three times in this edition, the platform for a solid knock is much-awaited. A match-winning hundred against India could change Babar's fortune overnight, much like Kohli’s ton against Afghanistan did. Moreover, Pakistan’s campaign will heavily depend on Babar’s form. If he fires, Pakistan’s chances of lifting the trophy will grow.
How India and Pakistan can play each other three times?
However, a Kohli-level comeback for Babar is possible, but it will take more than just one big innings. Kohli’s return to form saw him score big consistently in all three formats. Similarly, Babar has to be mindful that once he regains confidence and form, he should build on it and score runs consistently like before.
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