Babar Azam versus Lokesh Rahul

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

And how is he not better in T20s? He is number 1 ranked in T20is and KL is ranked 10th

Didn't want to break some hearts.

 

[shamaan]

He is already on his way to become Pakistan's greatest ever batsman in ODIs.

By the end of his career, he will surely overtake Inzamam, Miandad and Anwar's ODI legacies. He already has 15 ODI hundreds to his name, more than anyone not named Saeed Anwar, and has played 200 games less than those he has already overtaken.

His T20I numbers are mad. He just needs to get past that 130-133 mark in terms of strike rate, and get a WT20I medal to his name. He already dominated the last edition as the highest scorer. Not too far way from an ATG T20I batsman status either.

He still has some work to do in Tests, but he has improved there as well, as shown in the recent series. If Pakistan starts playing more Test matches, I expect him to go past or atleast come very close to that 10,000 runs milestone.

Overall not even a comparison with Rahul, who is a very talented batsman in his own right. Babar is in his own league though.

The only format I think will be hard to beat Miadad is tests.

 

[Waleed93]

The only format I think will be hard to beat Miadad is tests.

True.

However, Babar is just too good to underachieve in Test cricket in the long run.

I expect him to start dominating the longest format as well, he has shown signs of improvement.

I believe we might see him ending up with 25-30 Test hundreds to his name. Pakistan needs to play more Tests though.

 

[shamaan]

True.

However, Babar is just too good to underachieve in Test cricket in the long run.

I expect him to start dominating the longest format as well, he has shown signs of improvement.

I believe we might see him ending up with 25-30 Test hundreds to his name. Pakistan needs to play more Tests though.

If he can get 30 hundreds that would be excellent achievement and will go down with miadad as one of the two greatest in pak history

 

[Maher96]

KL explosive power Hitting might be a little bit better, but Babar overall is much better IMO.

His all conditions batting is a tutorial for all aspiring batsmen. The guy is unreal with his timing and accuracy

 

[Rajdeep]

Another needless bump by usual suspects

Everyone that understands cricket knows that Babar Azam is the best all format batsman going around but this constant seeking of approval just out of bitterness is hilarious.

The poster who is getting ecstatic just bcoz Babar got 2 ODI hundreds at home against an attack consisting of Behrendorff, Green, Ellis & Zampa are same one mocking Indian batsmen performance when they toured Australia last time and faced a white ball bowling attack of Sams, Abbot, Tye & Zampa saying its no big deal scoring against them.

Babar Azam is surely a better batsman but KL Rahul is no dud. His century at Lords last year is something which even Babar would be proud off. I have said this before and I will repeat again, KL Rahul will retire with test avg of 50+ if he stays fit.

 

[Mobashir]

Another needless bump by usual suspects

Everyone that understands cricket knows that Babar Azam is the best all format batsman going around but this constant seeking of approval just out of bitterness is hilarious.

The poster who is getting ecstatic just bcoz Babar got 2 ODI hundreds at home against an attack consisting of Behrendorff, Green, Ellis & Zampa are same one mocking Indian batsmen performance when they toured Australia last time and faced a white ball bowling attack of Sams, Abbot, Tye & Zampa saying its no big deal scoring against them.

Babar Azam is surely a better batsman but KL Rahul is no dud. His century at Lords last year is something which even Babar would be proud off. I have said this before and I will repeat again, KL Rahul will retire with test avg of 50+ if he stays fit.

Agree with most of what you have said but Rahul finishing with a 50+ test average?
He doesn't even average 50 on first class. It's not impossible, but I am ready to bet against it. He doesn't have the game for that.

 

[Villager6964]

Kl Rahul is a decent batsman but babar is an elite batsman most classy batsman in world cricket right now.
Kl Rahul is already 30 years old and he only averages 35 after playing more than 40 tests

In ODIs he averages decent of 46 but he has only played 40 odd matches
I don't think he is gonna be a legend as Indians thought he would be in any format of the game.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Another needless bump by usual suspects

Everyone that understands cricket knows that Babar Azam is the best all format batsman going around but this constant seeking of approval just out of bitterness is hilarious.

The poster who is getting ecstatic just bcoz Babar got 2 ODI hundreds at home against an attack consisting of Behrendorff, Green, Ellis & Zampa are same one mocking Indian batsmen performance when they toured Australia last time and faced a white ball bowling attack of Sams, Abbot, Tye & Zampa saying its no big deal scoring against them.

Babar Azam is surely a better batsman but KL Rahul is no dud. His century at Lords last year is something which even Babar would be proud off. I have said this before and I will repeat again, KL Rahul will retire with test avg of 50+ if he stays fit.

I think you forgot that you yourself accepted with my opinion regarding KL Rahul's inconsistency in test cricket. May be you have very less experience of watching test cricket but averaging 50+ in test cricket is not a joke. Even guys like Kohli and Root find it difficult to maintain it and you think KL will retire with a test average of 50+? I heard similar stuff from some fans regarding Pant averaging 50+ too. I likw these funny and OTT statements coming from you though.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Agree with most of what you have said but Rahul finishing with a 50+ test average?
He doesn't even average 50 on first class. It's not impossible, but I am ready to bet against it. He doesn't have the game for that.

Kohli is averaging 49.96 currently and [MENTION=152021]Rajdeep[/MENTION] thinks KL can retire with an average of 50+. Is KL better than Kohli or what?

 

[Rajdeep]

Agree with most of what you have said but Rahul finishing with a 50+ test average?
He doesn't even average 50 on first class. It's not impossible, but I am ready to bet against it. He doesn't have the game for that.

Last time Rahul played Ranji cricket was in 2013. So no point bringing his first class stats. Once an Indian player makes the transition to International cricket they hardly ever goes back to domestic unless some dire situation arises like in the case for Rahane/Pujara.

Rahul just started opening in test match cricket and I have big expectation from him. Yes, his consistency seems to be an issue but once he fix that aspect of the game he will retire with very high avg.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Last time Rahul played Ranji cricket was in 2013. So no point bringing his first class stats. Once an Indian player makes the transition to International cricket they hardly ever goes back to domestic unless some dire situation arises like in the case for Rahane/Pujara.

Rahul just started opening in test match cricket and I have big expectation from him. Yes, his consistency seems to be an issue but once he fix that aspect of the game he will retire with very high avg.

Bhaijaan he is already 29, there is not much time left to fox that aspect of the game now. He won't change. Will play 1 good inning and follow it with 5 average ones.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Bhaijaan he is already 29, there is not much time left to fox that aspect of the game now. He won't change. Will play 1 good inning and follow it with 5 average ones.

fix*

 

[Super Santi]

Incredible that this thread has 51 pages.
Might be time to lock it and only re-open if KL has a dream 18 months.
KL is a very talented player and in truth an underachiever but Babar levels above atm.
If he isn't the best batsman in the world, he is surely in the top 2.

 

[CricketZ]

Bump.

 

[Ahmed216]

Reason why india have never won a WC since the advent of IPL is selection of IPL hacks like KL. In 2007 they had proper players playing for them. But since then IPL performances became basis for selection

 

[Hextro]

Bump.

Why did you bump this thread? Babar is levels above Rahul.

 

[Hextro]

A lot of people in this thread are pushing the idea that Rahul is better than Babar in T20Is.

Here are their T20I records vs the top 5 T20 teams(top 4 for Rahul because he still hasn't played South Africa in T20s):

Babar: Innings-33, Runs-1380, Average-49.28, SR-133.98.

Rahul: Innings-26, Runs-772, Average-32.16, SR-133.79.

On top of all of this Rahul is over 2 and a half years older than Babar. T20 was the only format where people were comparing these two and it's clear that Babar is indisputably better than Rahul in that format, also Rahul is a mental midget he's always failed on the big stage his 5th, 6th, 50th gear doesn't matter if he's getting out within the first 5 balls in every high-pressure match. Although Rahul is pretty good in the IPL although that doesn't mean much at the end of the day.

 

[Hextro]

A lot of people in this thread are pushing the idea that Rahul is better than Babar in T20Is.

Here are their T20I records vs the top 5 T20 teams(top 4 for Rahul because he still hasn't played South Africa in T20s):

Babar: Innings-33, Runs-1380, Average-49.28, SR-133.98.

Rahul: Innings-26, Runs-772, Average-32.16, SR-133.79.

On top of all of this Rahul is over 2 and a half years older than Babar. T20 was the only format where people were comparing these two and it's clear that Babar is indisputably better than Rahul in that format, also Rahul is a mental midget he's always failed on the big stage his 5th, 6th, 50th gear doesn't matter if he's getting out within the first 5 balls in every high-pressure match. Although Rahul is pretty good in the IPL although that doesn't mean much at the end of the day.

But that doesn't*

 

[Local.Dada]

Babar is consistent but doesn’t have that edge Rahul has. Rahul has that fear factor, Babar has respect as a good bat. That’s the difference.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Babar is consistent but doesn’t have that edge Rahul has. Rahul has that fear factor, Babar has respect as a good bat. That’s the difference.

What fear factor? Because he played a good T20 innings yesterday against an OK bowling line up?

The amount of emotion swings that happen as a result of an innings or two are distracting from long term progress of both batsmen. Rahul is an excellent batsman. Babar is several notches above.

Ask 20 teams across the world whom they'd want in their line up.

 

[as-95]

A lot of people in this thread are pushing the idea that Rahul is better than Babar in T20Is.

Here are their T20I records vs the top 5 T20 teams(top 4 for Rahul because he still hasn't played South Africa in T20s):

Babar: Innings-33, Runs-1380, Average-49.28, SR-133.98.

Rahul: Innings-26, Runs-772, Average-32.16, SR-133.79.

On top of all of this Rahul is over 2 and a half years older than Babar. T20 was the only format where people were comparing these two and it's clear that Babar is indisputably better than Rahul in that format, also Rahul is a mental midget he's always failed on the big stage his 5th, 6th, 50th gear doesn't matter if he's getting out within the first 5 balls in every high-pressure match. Although Rahul is pretty good in the IPL although that doesn't mean much at the end of the day.

Outstanding post sir. Babar is FAR superior in all facets of the game. Tests and ODI's are no comparison and neither are T20's to be fair. Performances in Tamasha leagues like IPL have no bearing when you are bang average on the international stage.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Babar is consistent but doesn’t have that edge Rahul has. Rahul has that fear factor, Babar has respect as a good bat. That’s the difference.

Replace Babar with Sachin and Rahul with Afridi then read your post again. Does it not look stupid?

 

[Local.Dada]

What fear factor? Because he played a good T20 innings yesterday against an OK bowling line up?

The amount of emotion swings that happen as a result of an innings or two are distracting from long term progress of both batsmen. Rahul is an excellent batsman. Babar is several notches above.

Ask 20 teams across the world whom they'd want in their line up.

What I meant was Rahul has the capability to get those 20+ run overs which Babar doesn’t have. He has a 360 game.

Babar is more consistent, I agree.

Rahul did a Babar last year in IPL where he was scoring 100’s and 90’s for fun while his team was losing every game.

Let me put it this way would you pick Butler over Babar Azam in tests or as an all format batsman

While would you prefer Butler or Babar Azam in LOIs?

That’s the edge I am talking about.

Right now sure as an all format batsman Babar is ahead however Rahul unfortunately has to play a higher risk game for a while because we already have Rohit and Kohli struggling to even block.

Babar doesn’t have that xfactor.

 

[Hextro]

What I meant was Rahul has the capability to get those 20+ run overs which Babar doesn’t have. He has a 360 game.

Babar is more consistent, I agree.

Rahul did a Babar last year in IPL where he was scoring 100’s and 90’s for fun while his team was losing every game.

Let me put it this way would you pick Butler over Babar Azam in tests or as an all format batsman

While would you prefer Butler or Babar Azam in LOIs?

That’s the edge I am talking about.

Right now sure as an all format batsman Babar is ahead however Rahul unfortunately has to play a higher risk game for a while because we already have Rohit and Kohli struggling to even block.

Babar doesn’t have that xfactor.

When has Rahul ever gotten those "20+ run overs" in a high pressure international match? The stats are there for everyone to see. Rahul has always thrown it away in a high pressure match, you can literally see the amount of pressure he's in just by looking at his face he always seems worried. That's not the sign of a elite batsman and I don't see him getting rid of that weakness. You can't teach a batsman not to take pressure it's supposed to be natural.

 

[RamLakhan]

Replace Babar with Sachin and Rahul with Afridi then read your post again. Does it not look stupid?

The problem with your statement is Sachin >>>>>>>> Babar and Rahul >>>> Afridi... Afridi has not achieved 10% of Rahul in tests! I know you are fond of players of a certain country, but that doesn't change facts!

 

[silentkiller187]

What I meant was Rahul has the capability to get those 20+ run overs which Babar doesn’t have. He has a 360 game.

Babar is more consistent, I agree.

Rahul did a Babar last year in IPL where he was scoring 100’s and 90’s for fun while his team was losing every game.

Let me put it this way would you pick Butler over Babar Azam in tests or as an all format batsman

While would you prefer Butler or Babar Azam in LOIs?

That’s the edge I am talking about.

Right now sure as an all format batsman Babar is ahead however Rahul unfortunately has to play a higher risk game for a while because we already have Rohit and Kohli struggling to even block.

Babar doesn’t have that xfactor.

scoring 20+ runs in ipl circus is one thing, doing it on the international stage is completely different. KL is a top batsmen dont get me wrong but like others have pointed out the fear in his face is clear to see, he cant deal with pressure, for example in the pak vs india t20 world cup game K Lwas literally shaking you could see the fear in his face, Babr on the otherhand remained very calm and dealt with the matter.

Also the Butler example is incorrect because Butler is much better than KL in t20 and odi anyway so thats a whole different conversation

 

[Mesozoic]

KL Rahul is a better T20 batsman than Babar Azam. There's nothing to even debate here. His ceiling is way way high.

Babar resorts to 115 SR once PP is done. Not good enough.

 

[Mesozoic]

scoring 20+ runs in ipl circus is one thing, doing it on the international stage is completely different.KL is a top batsmen dont get me wrong but like others have pointed out the fear in his face is clear to see, he cant deal with pressure, for example in the pak vs india t20 world cup game K Lwas literally shaking you could see the fear in his face, Babar on the otherhand remained very calm and dealt with the matter.

Yes except that Rahul has been better than Babar in T20 internationals too. Has more hundreds and a much much better strike rate. All Babar does is score 5 more runs every game at a strike rate of 129.

And the "oh he looks scared" talk is plain subjective. He looks like that even when he's batting on 100 off 50 balls. That's just his persona. That's like saying Surya Kumar yadav is a better batsman than Babar because the latter looks meek and submissive the whole time.

 

[Hextro]

Yes except that Rahul has been better than Babar in T20 internationals too. Has more hundreds and a much much better strike rate. All Babar does is score 5 more runs every game at a strike rate of 129.

And the "oh he looks scared" talk is plain subjective. He looks like that even when he's batting on 100 off 50 balls. That's just his persona. That's like saying Surya Kumar yadav is a better batsman than Babar because the latter looks meek and submissive the whole time.

I provided you with stats and facts yet you chose to ignore them. If you exclude the weaker teams from both Babar and Rahul's stats you will see that Babar has the better average and SR.

Babar(vs top 5): Innings-33, Runs-1380, Average-49.28, SR-133.98.

Rahul(top 4 for Rahul because he still hasn't played South Africa in T20s): Innings-26, Runs-772, Average-32.16, SR-133.79.

Babar scores 41.8 runs on average every innings vs the top 5 T20 teams whereas Rahul scores only 29.6 runs on average every innings vs the top 4 T20 teams that too at a lower SR.

Also, didn't this Surya Kumar yadav guy fail pretty badly in the recent T20 world cup? I remember seeing him in the Pak vs Ind world cup game and he looked pretty shaken up. I don't see much of a career for this guy he's already 31 and he's only played 12 T20 internationals.

 

[Local.Dada]

scoring 20+ runs in ipl circus is one thing, doing it on the international stage is completely different. KL is a top batsmen dont get me wrong but like others have pointed out the fear in his face is clear to see, he cant deal with pressure, for example in the pak vs india t20 world cup game K Lwas literally shaking you could see the fear in his face, Babr on the otherhand remained very calm and dealt with the matter.

Also the Butler example is incorrect because Butler is much better than KL in t20 and odi anyway so thats a whole different conversation

IPL is a strong benchmark. There were memes from Pakistani fans themselves calling Babar Zimbabar etc because how Pakistan played T20i’s against every C team out there. I am not going to use that to judge Babar myself because I think he is a class player.

Yes he played well in WT20 in dubai/sharjah and I know that 152 chase will be milked for another decade but shows nothing. If that is your benchmark than how come no other Pakistani legend performed against India in WC’s, should we conclude that 2 W’s. Imran,Javed couldn’t handle big games?

Don’t argue for the sake of arguing. Babar is class and it is for everyone to see. Rahul is talented and I don’t think you disagree either.

However watch them play when set and tell me who looks more threatening?

As I said Babar on performance and consistency is ahead of Rahul. Rahul has that edge and xfactor that Babar lacks. That’s all there is to it.

6’s hitting ability and 360 range is where Rahul is leagues ahead while technique and temperament I would put Babar ahead.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

The problem with your statement is Sachin >>>>>>>> Babar and Rahul >>>> Afridi... Afridi has not achieved 10% of Rahul in tests! I know you are fond of players of a certain country, but that doesn't change facts!

Lol what? Afridi had an average of 36 in test cricket and he played against much better bowling attacks than KL Rahul. I know you hate players of a certain country but don't be so blinded by your hate. Saying things like Afridi hasn't achieved 10% of Rahul in tests shows how much you hate players of a certain country.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

IPL is a strong benchmark. There were memes from Pakistani fans themselves calling Babar Zimbabar etc because how Pakistan played T20i’s against every C team out there. I am not going to use that to judge Babar myself because I think he is a class player.

Yes he played well in WT20 in dubai/sharjah and I know that 152 chase will be milked for another decade but shows nothing. If that is your benchmark than how come no other Pakistani legend performed against India in WC’s, should we conclude that 2 W’s. Imran,Javed couldn’t handle big games?

Don’t argue for the sake of arguing. Babar is class and it is for everyone to see. Rahul is talented and I don’t think you disagree either.

However watch them play when set and tell me who looks more threatening?

As I said Babar on performance and consistency is ahead of Rahul. Rahul has that edge and xfactor that Babar lacks. That’s all there is to it.

6’s hitting ability and 360 range is where Rahul is leagues ahead while technique and temperament I would put Babar ahead.

Something is seriously wrong with how ICC calculates their rankings. A guy with edge and xfactor is ranked at 10 and the guy who lacks these qualities is at 1. They should also take into consideration the number of tattoos a player has and give extra points for these.

Actually you are the one who is arguing for the sake of arguing here. When you know that Babar is well ahead on the basis of performance and consistency in all formats combined then why are you bringing in xfactor, edge blah blah. How has that helped India in big tournaments? Maybe you were not present in this world at that time, but there was a time when some fans used to say the same things regarding Afridi while comparing him with Sachin.

 

[silentkiller187]

IPL is a strong benchmark. There were memes from Pakistani fans themselves calling Babar Zimbabar etc because how Pakistan played T20i’s against every C team out there. I am not going to use that to judge Babar myself because I think he is a class player.

Yes he played well in WT20 in dubai/sharjah and I know that 152 chase will be milked for another decade but shows nothing. If that is your benchmark than how come no other Pakistani legend performed against India in WC’s, should we conclude that 2 W’s. Imran,Javed couldn’t handle big games?

Don’t argue for the sake of arguing. Babar is class and it is for everyone to see. Rahul is talented and I don’t think you disagree either.

However watch them play when set and tell me who looks more threatening?

As I said Babar on performance and consistency is ahead of Rahul. Rahul has that edge and xfactor that Babar lacks. That’s all there is to it.

6’s hitting ability and 360 range is where Rahul is leagues ahead while technique and temperament I would put Babar ahead.

so let me get this right, Babar is more consistent and performs better but KL has the X factor so he is better

I didnt even want to bring rankings into it but whole ICC stats team need sacking if the better t20 batsmen is at number 10 in rankings

 

[Local.Dada]

so let me get this right, Babar is more consistent and performs better but KL has the X factor so he is better

I didnt even want to bring rankings into it but whole ICC stats team need sacking if the better t20 batsmen is at number 10 in rankings

Oh I see now rankings matter. Ok noted.

Talent wise and potential wise Rahul has not even reached 90% of his ability which is more than that of Babar.

Babar has maximized his potential and ahead of Rahul on current performance.

That’s the point I am making.

 

[silentkiller187]

Oh I see now rankings matter. Ok noted.

Talent wise and potential wise Rahul has not even reached 90% of his ability which is more than that of Babar.

Babar has maximized his potential and ahead of Rahul on current performance.

That’s the point I am making.

Rankings are a good barometer, I've never said they don't matter, and I agree babar is currently better than Rahul who knows what will happen in the future

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Oh I see now rankings matter. Ok noted.

Talent wise and potential wise Rahul has not even reached 90% of his ability which is more than that of Babar.

Babar has maximized his potential and ahead of Rahul on current performance.

That’s the point I am making.

How did you come to this conclusion that 30 year old Rahul hasn't even reached 90% of his ability? And how are you so sure that 27 year old Babar has maximized his potential?

 

[Ab Fan]

Babar is better in ODIs and slightly better in Tests. So, overall Babar is ahead of KL but the difference between Babar and KL in tests isn't as big as the average suggests because KL has played higher % of away matches.

Also, in Tests, Pant is ahead of Babar at the moment. Again Pant has played far more % of away matches. These things matter because if you go by plain stats then Jadeja would be comparable to Imran Khan and Keith Miller and better than Kapil Dev in Tests which is obviously wrong.

Tests :

Pant
Babar
KL

In ODIs, Babar > KL > Pant

Third format has always been irrelevant for me so I can't rate players based on that format as it is a format where half of the players often rest or prefer playing franchise cricket.

 

[giri26]

I don't believe in these unmeasurable yardsticks like the talent. Right now in LOIs Babar is way ahead and even in Tests KL hasn't been consistent enough. Babar has lots to prove in Tests but in LOI he is way ahead. KL despite having a great 2021 as an opener where he has scored 100's in England & SA, still has an average of 35 which is not good enough. He has good records in ODIs & T20Is but he needs to improve his consistency. The one thing though is that Rahul's game in white ball format is a high risk one which isn't the case with Babar who is a more of a steady batter.

 

[Hextro]

Oh I see now rankings matter. Ok noted.

Talent wise and potential wise Rahul has not even reached 90% of his ability which is more than that of Babar.

Babar has maximized his potential and ahead of Rahul on current performance.

That’s the point I am making.

If Babar averaging 90 in ODIs with a SR of 105 in the last 3 years is his peak I hope it lasts for a long long time.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Oh I see now rankings matter. Ok noted.

Talent wise and potential wise Rahul has not even reached 90% of his ability which is more than that of Babar.

Babar has maximized his potential and ahead of Rahul on current performance.

That’s the point I am making.

This is your opinion. Others (including me) may think Babar hasn't reached his potential. Very subjective.

What we can say for sure is what's ahead of us. Babar outbats KL in all formats.

KL has more shots in his armory - but there is a tendency to equate shot making with X Factor. Afridi was called x factor too.

At the end of the day, whoever wins you games of cricket consistently (let's call it Y Factor) will be my pick, even if they lack X factor.

 

[anikrc1]

This is your opinion. Others (including me) may think Babar hasn't reached his potential. Very subjective.

What we can say for sure is what's ahead of us. Babar outbats KL in all formats.

KL has more shots in his armory - but there is a tendency to equate shot making with X Factor. Afridi was called x factor too.

At the end of the day, whoever wins you games of cricket consistently (let's call it Y Factor) will be my pick, even if they lack X factor.

Babar is much better than k l in every format. K l is more aesthetically pleasing to watch which many equates with being more talented. But realistically k l is no where as compact as babar.

 

[Sidilicious]

Oh I see now rankings matter. Ok noted.

Talent wise and potential wise Rahul has not even reached 90% of his ability which is more than that of Babar.

Babar has maximized his potential and ahead of Rahul on current performance.

That’s the point I am making.

This talent thing is generally a Pakistani line when players like Umar Akmal who had more ‘talent’ that Virat Kohli are not able to do anything. Let’s leave it to them.

I would rather go for results.

 

[Smbhayi]

Talent wise and potential wise Rahul has not even reached 90% of his ability which is more than that of Babar.

.

Maybe that's due to he's not a pressure player.. anyway how's that Babar's fault..?

 

[Local.Dada]

This talent thing is generally a Pakistani line when players like Umar Akmal who had more ‘talent’ that Virat Kohli are not able to do anything. Let’s leave it to them.

I would rather go for results.

C’mon now. Let’s not downplay Rahul here with a ridiculous comparison like Umar Akmal vs Kohli.

Rahul has 3 T20I 100’s. One vs Eng in Eng. all 3 were impact knocks. Babar has 1 T20
100 and he opens and Pakistan plays full lineups vs Netherlands and Zimbabwe too.

No one is going to pick Babar over Rahul in T20.

Babar works for Pakistan which has a lot of hit or miss players so his solidity and consistency looks better. We in fact criticize Rahul because we already have Rohit and Kohli doing the tuk tuk for us.

In tests Rahul has 100’s in Aus, SA and Eng. 2 of those came in match winning causes. What is Babar Azam’s best overseas 100 again? Also Rahul scored back to back 50’s vs Australia at home on tough pitches to end up the best bat again in a winning series. Does Babar have such impact knocks? The 196 came on one of the flattest tracks but I can appreciate the pressure and probably call it his best knock. Apart from that no impact knocks in tests.

ODIs is one area where Babar is leagues ahead. That I absolutely agree. Unfortunately with Rohit, Dhawan and Kohli ,Rahul has been usually moved up and down. No excuses still has to grab his chances.

It’s closer than you look and impact wise there is no contest.

I am just using the same benchmark our friends use here in a lot of factors. I am just so happy to see the relevance for ratings now.

 

[Local.Dada]

This is your opinion. Others (including me) may think Babar hasn't reached his potential. Very subjective.

What we can say for sure is what's ahead of us. Babar outbats KL in all formats.

KL has more shots in his armory - but there is a tendency to equate shot making with X Factor. Afridi was called x factor too.

At the end of the day, whoever wins you games of cricket consistently (let's call it Y Factor) will be my pick, even if they lack X factor.

Not really. Rahul just scored a match winning 100 in Sa and England.

Has more T20I 100’s. 2 against good T20 sides.

Odi is the only format Babar is way ahead.

Tests and T20 for impact Rahul is ahead.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

C’mon now. Let’s not downplay Rahul here with a ridiculous comparison like Umar Akmal vs Kohli.

Rahul has 3 T20I 100’s. One vs Eng in Eng. all 3 were impact knocks. Babar has 1 T20
100 and he opens and Pakistan plays full lineups vs Netherlands and Zimbabwe too.

No one is going to pick Babar over Rahul in T20.

Babar works for Pakistan which has a lot of hit or miss players so his solidity and consistency looks better. We in fact criticize Rahul because we already have Rohit and Kohli doing the tuk tuk for us.

In tests Rahul has 100’s in Aus, SA and Eng. 2 of those came in match winning causes. What is Babar Azam’s best overseas 100 again? Also Rahul scored back to back 50’s vs Australia at home on tough pitches to end up the best bat again in a winning series. Does Babar have such impact knocks? The 196 came on one of the flattest tracks but I can appreciate the pressure and probably call it his best knock. Apart from that no impact knocks in tests.

ODIs is one area where Babar is leagues ahead. That I absolutely agree. Unfortunately with Rohit, Dhawan and Kohli ,Rahul has been usually moved up and down. No excuses still has to grab his chances.

It’s closer than you look and impact wise there is no contest.

I am just using the same benchmark our friends use here in a lot of factors. I am just so happy to see the relevance for ratings now.

What an impact lol. KL Rahul didn't do anything after that and flopped. His next century came in the last inning of the last test which we also lost. Do some research first.

 

[Local.Dada]

What an impact lol. KL Rahul didn't do anything after that and flopped. His next century came in the last inning of the last test which we also lost. Do some research first.

I think you are only nitpicking on the player you truly love.don’t be a typical Indian dad lol.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Babar may not be a very good captain but he is certainly better than KL Rahul. I think Babar is ahead in all formats and departments at the moment.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

I think you are only nitpicking on the player you truly love.don’t be a typical Indian dad lol.

You are only focussing on his good performances that come once in a while and ignoring all his mistakes. Don't be a typical Indian mom lol.

 

[Rajdeep]

Babar may not be a very good captain but he is certainly better than KL Rahul. I think Babar is ahead in all formats and departments at the moment.

But under KL Rahul we whitewashed Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe.


Babar Azam's Pakistan lost a T20 against same Zimbabwe in Pakistan

https://www.cricbuzz.com/live-crick...s-pak-2nd-t20i-pakistan-tour-of-zimbabwe-2021

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

But under KL Rahul we whitewashed Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe.


Babar Azam's Pakistan lost a T20 against same Zimbabwe in Pakistan

https://www.cricbuzz.com/live-crick...s-pak-2nd-t20i-pakistan-tour-of-zimbabwe-2021

Really? Now you yourself are picking one game and basing your opinion on that. However you get hurt when the same logic is used for Bumrah against Pakistan.

 

[Hextro]

But under KL Rahul we whitewashed Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe.


Babar Azam's Pakistan lost a T20 against same Zimbabwe in Pakistan

https://www.cricbuzz.com/live-crick...s-pak-2nd-t20i-pakistan-tour-of-zimbabwe-2021

I've got to say Cricbuzz has one of the worst score displays of all time. That's some puke-worthy stuff right there.

And the other guy is right. Rahul is an atrocious captain. The guy looks like he just woke up from a nightmare 24/7.

Babar clears him in every format easily. It's not even a comparison anymore.

 

[Rajdeep]

Really? Now you yourself are picking one game and basing your opinion on that. However you get hurt when the same logic is used for Bumrah against Pakistan.

You bumped the thread and I simply responded. I am nit-picking, how exactly?

And one game matters a lot, especially if you drop it at home and that too against Zimbabwe. Lets be honest, if India had lost even 1 game against Zimbabwe under KL, you would remind us about that for ages.

 

[Rajdeep]

I've got to say Cricbuzz has one of the worst score displays of all time. That's some puke-worthy stuff right there.

And the other guy is right. Rahul is an atrocious captain. The guy looks like he just woke up from a nightmare 24/7.

Babar clears him in every format easily. It's not even a comparison anymore.

I am simply not following. What you mean by Cricbuzz has one of the worst score displays? That game did happen and Pakistan did lose at home against Zimbabwe. How is it Cricbuzz's fault? LOL

Babar is better batsman than Rahul...no one has any doubt on that. Jury is out in captaincy as KL is not a regular captain like Babar is.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

You bumped the thread and I simply responded. I am nit-picking, how exactly?

And one game matters a lot, especially if you drop it at home and that too against Zimbabwe. Lets be honest, if India had lost even 1 game against Zimbabwe under KL, you would remind us about that for ages.

Bhai kehna kya chahte ho? India vs Pakistan in a T20 WC match didn't matter because it was a one off match but Pak losing against Zim in a one off match matters a lot. Waah bhaijaan waah.

 

[Ab Fan]

Babar is in a different league to Rahul.

Rahul has turned out to be an emabrassment as far as the potential he had. At present, he is a 6/10 in tests, 7/10 in ODIs and 8/10 in T20Is. In tests, he is a better batsman than his stats though, as good as Gambhir or Vijay in my opinion, just a matter of feasting in a couple of home series.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Babar is in a different league to Rahul.

Rahul has turned out to be an emabrassment as far as the potential he had. At present, he is a 6/10 in tests, 7/10 in ODIs and 8/10 in T20Is. In tests, he is a better batsman than his stats though, as good as Gambhir or Vijay in my opinion, just a matter of feasting in a couple of home series.

He is better than Vijay but he is no way near Gambhir. KL played some good innings in England last year but as always he once again failed to maintain the consistency.

 

[Hextro]

I am simply not following. What you mean by Cricbuzz has one of the worst score displays? That game did happen and Pakistan did lose at home against Zimbabwe. How is it Cricbuzz's fault? LOL

Design. I thought that was obvious but I guess not. You proved my point. Cricbuzz's design is soo awful that it made you think the game you linked was played in Pakistan.

"Series: Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe, 2021, Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare"

Babar is better batsman than Rahul...no one has any doubt on that.

You didn't have to say Babar is better batsman than Rahul. Everyone knows that already. Even KL knows that.

Jury is out in captaincy as KL is not a regular captain like Babar is.

There's a reason why KL isn't a regular captain. As I said before, he looks like he's having a nightmare 24/7 when he's captaining India. It would be better for India not to put so much mental pressure on him. Make him bat in the middle-order in ODIs. He has the potential to be a De Villiers type player for India in the middle-order. Who knows maybe he'll make a comeback if that happens.

Also please note that I'm not comparing him to De Villiers.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Design. I thought that was obvious but I guess not. You proved my point. Cricbuzz's design is soo awful that it made you think the game you linked was played in Pakistan.

"Series: Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe, 2021, Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare"



You didn't have to say Babar is better batsman than Rahul. Everyone knows that already. Even KL knows that.



There's a reason why KL isn't a regular captain. As I said before, he looks like he's having a nightmare 24/7 when he's captaining India. It would be better for India not to put so much mental pressure on him. Make him bat in the middle-order in ODIs. He has the potential to be a De Villiers type player for India in the middle-order. Who knows maybe he'll make a comeback if that happens.

Also please note that I'm not comparing him to De Villiers.

Yeah please don't do that. Even [MENTION=139595]Ab Fan[/MENTION] won't like it.

 

[Ab Fan]

He is better than Vijay but he is no way near Gambhir. KL played some good innings in England last year but as always he once again failed to maintain the consistency.

In Tests I was talking about. Both Gambhir and Vijay are same level in Tests. Gambhir's record isn't any good vs top teams barring the Napier Test in New Zealand. Remember, KL has hundreds in Australia, England and South Africa now.

 

[Rajdeep]

Bhai kehna kya chahte ho? India vs Pakistan in a T20 WC match didn't matter because it was a one off match but Pak losing against Zim in a one off match matters a lot. Waah bhaijaan waah.

You bumped this thread mocking KL's captaincy and bigging Babar Azam. But I am just showing you the stats that KL just whitewashed Zim in Zim where Babar dropped a game against them at home.

I simply don't see the point of Rahul criticism here. One game dosen't matter but KL Rahul only captained in handful of games. If its enough for you to claim Babar Azam is much better captain than Rahul, then we need to factor every game as the sample size is small.

I am simply not understanding what point you are trying to make here. If I were you, I would have bumped this thread praising how superior a batsman Babar is compared to Rahul and everyone would have agreed unanimously. But first time I am witnessing, a thread being bumped mocking a captain after he whitewashed a opposition in a series.

 

[Rajdeep]

Bhai kehna kya chahte ho? India vs Pakistan in a T20 WC match didn't matter because it was a one off match but Pak losing against Zim in a one off match matters a lot. Waah bhaijaan waah.

Also who said Ind-Pak T20 WC match didn't matter? Do you get some dream at night and come here assuming things

Pakistan played brilliantly that day and outclassed us in every department. That game and the subsequent NZ match did matter a lot as we couldn't even qualify for semi finals. Pakistan humbled us thoroughly that day and we had no answer to Shaheen, Babar and Rizwan. I and other Indian fans have said this multiple times in this forum.

Ab kis langauge me bolu?

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

I am simply not following. What you mean by Cricbuzz has one of the worst score displays? That game did happen and Pakistan did lose at home against Zimbabwe. How is it Cricbuzz's fault? LOL

Babar is better batsman than Rahul...no one has any doubt on that. Jury is out in captaincy as KL is not a regular captain like Babar is.

You bumped this thread mocking KL's captaincy and bigging Babar Azam. But I am just showing you the stats that KL just whitewashed Zim in Zim where Babar dropped a game against them at home.

I simply don't see the point of Rahul criticism here. One game dosen't matter but KL Rahul only captained in handful of games. If its enough for you to claim Babar Azam is much better captain than Rahul, then we need to factor every game as the sample size is small.

I am simply not understanding what point you are trying to make here. If I were you, I would have bumped this thread praising how superior a batsman Babar is compared to Rahul and everyone would have agreed unanimously. But first time I am witnessing, a thread being bumped mocking a captain after he whitewashed a opposition in a series.

You are not even following the game so I won't waste my time explaining it to you.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Also who said Ind-Pak T20 WC match didn't matter? Do you get some dream at night and come here assuming things

Pakistan played brilliantly that day and outclassed us in every department. That game and the subsequent NZ match did matter a lot as we couldn't even qualify for semi finals. Pakistan humbled us thoroughly that day and we had no answer to Shaheen, Babar and Rizwan. I and other Indian fans have said this multiple times in this forum.

Ab kis langauge me bolu?

So you agree now that Bumrah failing and Shaheen performing in the last T20 WC match mattered? Whose absence in Asia Cup will hurt the opposition most then? Shaheen's or Bumrah's?

 

[Hextro]

Summary of the arguments in favor of Rahul throughout the years on this thread.

In the first few pages of this thread - "Rahul is a better batsman than Babar in every format. This thread will turn out like the Kohli-Umar thread. India is amazing at developing batsmen."

Babar starts doing well in ODIs - "Rahul is leagues better than Babar in Tests and T20s. Rahul will easily surpass Babar in ODIs as well. It's only a matter of time."

Babar starts breaking records in T20s and ODIs - "Test Cricket is the only type of cricket that counts because I say so . Anyways Rahul is an impact player in limited overs cricket, unlike Babar who's a stat padder. Babar will be exposed in the 2019 world cup."

Babar starts excelling in every format after having a good World Cup - "Babar may be a better ODI and Test batsman than the future De Villiers but Rahul is still a much better T20 batsman. Just look at his IPL record."

Present - ". Err, Rahul is a better captain than Babar maybe."

Deep down everyone knows this thread has come to an end. Rahul isn't a bad batsman by any means but it's becoming more clearer by the day that he won't fulfill his potential. He's already over 2 years older than Babar. This thread would've been more fair had it been Babar vs Rohit or Dhawan.

 

[jnaveen1980]

KL Rahul is a mental midget and is also selfish. He is a good stroke player. He should focus mainly on playing strokes not tuk tuk. He wants to be more consistent desperately. Because of that his game has become selfish. And also impact is very minimal.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

I am surprised Babar vs this hack has last 50 pages. Reminds me of Kohli vs Umar Akmal thread

 

[MP2011]

KL Rahul is a mental midget and is also selfish. He is a good stroke player. He should focus mainly on playing strokes not tuk tuk. He wants to be more consistent desperately. Because of that his game has become selfish. And also impact is very minimal.

This is so true.

Rahul is an extremely selfish cricketer. And this trait shows in his IPL performances too.

 

[MP2011]

Its ultimate insult of Babar to be compared with this forever injured and selfish cricketer.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Rahul is the worst captain I have ever seen.
Dunno why bcci is hellbent on handing the captaincy to him

 

[sweep_shot]

This thread has run its course. It is no longer a comparison.

Babar is the best batsman in the world while Rahul is in Tier 2.

 

[Minnowbasher]

They call him ZimBabar
What they don't realise is Rahul bhai can't even score against them.

 

[MP2011]

while Rahul is in Tier 2.

Even this is stretching it!

 

[Ab Fan]

Rahul Bhai needs a couple of high quality WT20 knock vs top opposition then he will be rated back as top-T20 batter. His stats in T20s is still excellent.

In ODIs, he should bat in middle, there is that selfishness that if he bats at top, he will get more time and his place in the team will be safe. But he needs to understand that he plays so much better in middle order that it's not even comparable.

In Tests, he again has played some quality knocks but needs a couple of years of purple patch to be considered as a good test batsman.

Quality is there but he has shown only flashes of that and this has been a case in his 7-8 years of international cricket.@;

 

[Rajdeep]

So where we stand now? Has Babar Azam surpassed KL Rahul as T20 opener?

 

[Bilal7]

So where we stand now? Has Babar Azam surpassed KL Rahul as T20 opener?

You're not serious, are you?

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Time to close this thread.

 

[Madplayer]

Umar akmal vs Virat Kohli thread comes to mind.

 

[DRsohail]

Bump......