‘You compare him with Virat Kohli and he is not even close’ - Nayan Mongia targets Babar Azam ahead of India match

Pakistan captain Babar Azam is going through a rough patch in the shortest format of the game. The 29-year-old failed to deliver in the two T20Is against England and in their opening game of the T20 World Cup against USA, Babar made 44 runs off 43 deliveries, which questioned his calibre in this format. 

Babar and other Pakistan batters struggled against USA, which resulted in them losing the match in the Super Over. That put immense pressure on the Men in Green, who now need to pick up a win against India on June 9 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Ahead of that, former India cricketer Nayan Mongia called out the Pakistan skipper and opined that Babar often gets compared with Virat Kohli, but he is not even close.

Analysing his performance, Mongia noted that Babar Azam’s form is hugely concerning and mentioned that the cricketer takes too much pressure on himself, which is not required. He believes that the pressure is playing a part in Babar’s downfall with the bat and added that Pakistan’s batting unit collapses as soon as he fails to deliver.

“His batting has been stumbling for the last few years. He is looking out of form. He is putting too much pressure on himself, that he has to stay there and make a big score for the team. If he takes pressure like this and the team doesn't support him in batting and fielding, mental pressure definitely comes on every batter,” Mongia told on Star Sports.

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“Pressure has been put on him that he is the best batter and has to stay there and score big. You compare him with Virat Kohli and he is not even close to Virat Kohli. So the pressure is on Babar Azam and the Pakistan team that till he fires, everything is fine, but if he gets out, Pakistan's batting collapses,” the 54-year-old added. 

Pakistan will square off against their arch-nemesis India in New York

Pakistan’s upcoming clash against India is nothing short of a do-or-die. If they lose to India, their dream of making it into the Super 8 will be severely hampered. Notably, both the arch-rivals are set to clash at the Nassau International Cricket Stadium in New York, on Sunday, June 9.

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