Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik has slammed Pakistan’s Babar Azam and stated that his comparison with Virat Kohli should stop now, especially after the way Babar was dismissed in the recent India v Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 game in Colombo on Sunday, February 15.
India had been asked to bat first after Pakistan won the toss at the RPS Stadium in Colombo. Thanks to Ishan Kishan’s 77, India posted 175/7 in 20 overs on a difficult pitch. In response, Pakistan's batting collapsed right from the start and could only manage 114 runs.
India won the game by 61 runs and extended their win-loss record in T20 World Cups against Pakistan to 8-1.
The focus of discussion between Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik on Cricbuzz was a poor batting show by Babar Azam. Babar Azam made 5 runs in 7 balls against India and got out playing a very poor hoick shot against Axar Patel.
His dismissal drew sharp criticism from Dinesh Karthik, who questioned both the shot selection and the mindset behind it. He further stated that he found comparisons between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam “a bit unfair”—but used the contrast to underline his point.
“I cannot imagine Virat Kohli playing that shot that early in the innings. That is submission. It is not having belief in what it takes to win or how to take your team closer to victory,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
Karthik went on to say that excellent athletes don't give in to pressure; they thrive on it. Karthik claims that rather than trying a low-percentage slog, Kohli would have tried to rotate strikes, bat deep, and systematically direct the chase.
“That absorption of pressure is what makes greatness. Every game cannot be easy where you just come and play a few shots,” he added.
Babar's stroke seemed out of character to Karthik as well. Despite a fielder in the deep, Babar, who is renowned for his ability to time through covers and control gaps, chose to blast wildly over midwicket.
“He is better than that,” Karthik said.
Here is the video:
Babar's recent record against India at T20 World Cups provides context for the critique. Since his 68 in the 2021 edition, he has achieved scores of 10, 14, 0, 13, and 5. In six matches against India, he has 110 runs at an average of 22 and a strike rate of 123.59.
In comparison, Kohli has been dominating the rivalry. The former India captain has scored 492 runs in 11 T20 matches against Pakistan, at an average of 70.28. His stunning knock at the MCG during the 2022 T20 World Cup remains one of the most memorable chases in tournament history.
