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Babar Azam versus Lokesh Rahul

We are talking about present and i know alot can change in next few years
but if you guys take rahul over kohli in t20s so not much to debate about babar than because babar is no way near kohli let alone the great kr rahul

I think you are confusing. Let me clarify once more:-

Overall, Kohli is way superior to Rahul and Babar because he has already won player of series in 2 T20 WC and over 60+ matches, he averages 48 at a SR of 136 and has played some of the memorable innings against SA and Aus in WT20 knockouts.

<B>At present, again Kohli is superior to both Rahul and Babar because those two have played a meagre 19-20 T20 matches and that is not enough to put a young player over an already highly successful T20 player who has pretty much done everything already.</B>

Now coming to comparison between Rahul and Babar, Rahul is better because he has much higher SR than Babar. T20 cricket is a lot about power hitting and everyone accepts that Babar lacks it. Strike Rate matters a lot than averages in T20s. <B>Now, as you are saying in a same way Rahul has higher SR than Kohli</B>, so to clarify that, till Rahul plays 50 T20, he won't be able to maintain that high average at that high SR. If he does and delivers in WT20s by performing against some of top opposition, he will eventually be better than Kohli.

An average of 50 in T20 at a SR close to 150 is not a normal thing and any player won't be able to maintain this average in T20 cricket for long enough.

If there is anything else, I can clarify more if you want.
 
Anyways, I least care about T20 cricket and its stats. The format means nothing for me except entertainment and it is the first time I am wasting my time for this format.

There have been a share of T20 players who have got a certain legacy in T20 cricket and those are the names that clicks into mind as soon as we talk of that format:-

Chris Gayle
Brendon McCullum
Shane Watson
AB de Villiers
Kevin Pietersen
Shahid Afridi
Yuvraj Singh
Virat Kohli
David Warner
Jos Buttler
Andre Russell
Sunil Narine
Lasith Malinga

Some names will be forgotten obviously.
 
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I think you are confusing. Let me clarify once more:-

Overall, Kohli is way superior to Rahul and Babar because he has already won player of series in 2 T20 WC and over 60+ matches, he averages 48 at a SR of 136 and has played some of the memorable innings against SA and Aus in WT20 knockouts.

<B>At present, again Kohli is superior to both Rahul and Babar because those two have played a meagre 19-20 T20 matches and that is not enough to put a young player over an already highly successful T20 player who has pretty much done everything already.</B>

Now coming to comparison between Rahul and Babar, Rahul is better because he has much higher SR than Babar. T20 cricket is a lot about power hitting and everyone accepts that Babar lacks it. Strike Rate matters a lot than averages in T20s. <B>Now, as you are saying in a same way Rahul has higher SR than Kohli</B>, so to clarify that, till Rahul plays 50 T20, he won't be able to maintain that high average at that high SR. If he does and delivers in WT20s by performing against some of top opposition, he will eventually be better than Kohli.

An average of 50 in T20 at a SR close to 150 is not a normal thing and any player won't be able to maintain this average in T20 cricket for long enough.

If there is anything else, I can clarify more if you want.

Fair assement i agree with most part
 
You can see his innings in all the ODIs he has played looks confused about the format that whether to stick around or hit it. You can look at the last 5 ODIs he gave played, looks a pretty nervous starter and that is why he doesnt have many 50s, I guess 1 in 11 ODIs.

Thats cos hes being played as a middle order batsmen when hes a specialist opener . I cant think of one opener whos come down the order in LOIs and has been successful .
 
Thats cos hes being played as a middle order batsmen when hes a specialist opener . I cant think of one opener whos come down the order in LOIs and has been successful .

That's a valid point... I think its better to play KL Rahul as substitute opener if Dhawan & Rohit are so good! (Play only when one is injured). This will at least help Rahul to concentrate properly in Test matches. I think Rahul would have been a premier opener in Tests by now if he was not distracted by LOIs & IPL (last IPL was the only case where he played to his strength as an opener and got success!) Rahul should forget International LOIs for a while (if he keeps getting these middle order offers and not so friendly Coach & Captain! He is definitely superior & secure in Tests compared to Dhawan & Rohit, especially if he concentrates fully!) I think his quest for playing LOIs in middle order may spoil his entire vision & affect even his Test game (It already has)! He should not bother about international LOIs, because now at least there is IPL to fulfill his wishes where he is secured (even financially)! I know missing out world cup is heartbreak, but I guess he will be in squad at least (world cup squad can be big anyhow), for that he has to make a clear decision that he is a specialist (substitute) opener and nothing else (maybe part-time keeper in addition to that, which may help his chances to get into the squad) Who knows an injury to someone in world cup, if he gets a chance to play & if he plays a crucial innings there, then it can draw huge attention and also gives huge confidence to himself! This is how he should think from now on...
 
Comparing Rahul to Kohli is bizarre especially when he’s struggling to compete with Rohit and Dhawan
 
Comparing Rahul to Kohli is bizarre especially when he’s struggling to compete with Rohit and Dhawan

Yes, he (and his fans) should not look to compete with Sachin/Kohli for Run Machine spot. He should rather see himself in Sehwag/Laxman kind of mode who made impact to the game with their special abilities instead of piling runs! For the moment he is not even been able to reach Gambhir level of certainty in the team unfortunately! If he had to get into Sachin/Kohli mode, he should have done it by now (he can't be so unhappy about the chances! He has got chances which he should have grabbed!)
 
If rahul plays well in test matches against england ,he will definitely get a fixed spot in odis.
I want test matches to be his best format.If he does well here all his loi woes will be forgotteN.
If rahul plays well in england rahul will be ahead of babar (all formats combined).
 
If rahul plays well in test matches against england ,he will definitely get a fixed spot in odis.
I want test matches to be his best format.If he does well here all his loi woes will be forgotteN.
If rahul plays well in england rahul will be ahead of babar (all formats combined).

Least bothered about going past Babar... (Rahul would have been a Legend by now had he played for Pakistan, similarly bowlers like Takur would not even be bowling in Pakistani Nets. Let's be fair!) I will be satisfied if he just gets some consistency so that he becomes a permanent fixture as an opener in all formats, so that a reliable person carries our batting in crunch games (such as CT Finals)
 
Least bothered about going past Babar... (Rahul would have been a Legend by now had he played for Pakistan, similarly bowlers like Takur would not even be bowling in Pakistani Nets. Let's be fair!) I will be satisfied if he just gets some consistency so that he becomes a permanent fixture as an opener in all formats, so that a reliable person carries our batting in crunch games (such as CT Finals)

Have you ever heard names of miadad,inzimam,younis etc.
 
Have you ever heard names of miadad,inzimam,younis etc.

Similarly most Pakistanis have never heard (or rather ignorant) about names like Srinath, Kumble, Zaheer, etc. Actually this has led to the downfall of both the teams most times. Pakistan underestimated Indian bowling and got hit with that world cup streak, India faced the same throughout its history (from that Miandad/Chetan over to the latest Fakhar blast in CT). It is a myth that these two teams have won only because of their batting & bowling respectively! It is actually the other suite which has turned it on for them mostly!
 
Rahul seems to be going the Umar Akmal route..

Should start a comparison thread between Rahul and Akmal..
 
Too early to judge he have 5 test to show his talent unless kohli have other ideas.......
 
IMHO Rahul needs to spend one or 2 seasons in county, will help him immensely.
 
Like I've said before, he's too set in his ways and will get found out at the Test level. Not sure why he's compared to Kohli but I might be missing something others aren't.
 
People may agree or disagree, I can tell that KL Rahul would have got settled as an established batsman by now in teams like Pakistan. Babar would have been his subordinate or at best his equally good partner! It is because he is fighting for a place in batting heavy Indian Team that he is so unsettled at the moment! You may even laugh if I say "batting heavy India" because Indian team may look like unsettled batting lineup with Murali Vijay aging, Rahul not settled as opener, Dhawan asked to open, Pujara losing out, Rahane losing out, asking Partiv-DK-etc for Wicket-keeping, etc! Also in LOIs we have prime-past Dhoni, Raina being asked to get back, etc! These are selection/management issues, but still the core of the Indian batting is good! Still there is a chance to win the current test match (overseas) on such tough pitch, whereas Pakistan struggle hard to win test match in their own home (UAE)! You may laugh at this, but I can also laugh at Pakistan's bowling supremacy because they never won a World Cup match against India with their ATG bowling attack! (But internally I envy Pakistan's bowling resources and I agree they are the best raw talents!)

You may also point out technical flaws... But some of the guys with technical flaws succeeded very well like Sehwag and Laxman! Laxman looks so lazy with his footwork, but still the way he puts decent balls to the boundary gives headache to bowlers and it affects them mentally and it will result in them bowling poor deliveries (ask Warne!) Scoreboard pressure is always the key, even in test matches (more so actually!) Today somebody like Laxman would have fancied his chances and scored brisk runs against good deliveries putting immense pressure on opposition. He may get out against a good delivery because of lack of defense, chances are there, but cricket is also a game of luck! He may not be technically correct like Dravid or temperamentally perfect like Sachin, but he is special on his own way because of the ability to confuse bowlers like when bowlers bowl outside off he can move to the pitch of the ball & hit on on-side (and vice-versa). When such things happen footwork takes a back-seat and only mind-game comes to the focus!

For the moment KL Rahul is so poor at his mind, hence he looks way way inferior to Babar! Hence you should not compare Rahul & Babar because the latter is already well settled in his team!
 
People may agree or disagree, I can tell that KL Rahul would have got settled as an established batsman by now in teams like Pakistan. Babar would have been his subordinate or at best his equally good partner! It is because he is fighting for a place in batting heavy Indian Team that he is so unsettled at the moment! You may even laugh if I say "batting heavy India" because Indian team may look like unsettled batting lineup with Murali Vijay aging, Rahul not settled as opener, Dhawan asked to open, Pujara losing out, Rahane losing out, asking Partiv-DK-etc for Wicket-keeping, etc! Also in LOIs we have prime-past Dhoni, Raina being asked to get back, etc! These are selection/management issues, but still the core of the Indian batting is good! Still there is a chance to win the current test match (overseas) on such tough pitch, whereas Pakistan struggle hard to win test match in their own home (UAE)! You may laugh at this, but I can also laugh at Pakistan's bowling supremacy because they never won a World Cup match against India with their ATG bowling attack! (But internally I envy Pakistan's bowling resources and I agree they are the best raw talents!)

You may also point out technical flaws... But some of the guys with technical flaws succeeded very well like Sehwag and Laxman! Laxman looks so lazy with his footwork, but still the way he puts decent balls to the boundary gives headache to bowlers and it affects them mentally and it will result in them bowling poor deliveries (ask Warne!) Scoreboard pressure is always the key, even in test matches (more so actually!) Today somebody like Laxman would have fancied his chances and scored brisk runs against good deliveries putting immense pressure on opposition. He may get out against a good delivery because of lack of defense, chances are there, but cricket is also a game of luck! He may not be technically correct like Dravid or temperamentally perfect like Sachin, but he is special on his own way because of the ability to confuse bowlers like when bowlers bowl outside off he can move to the pitch of the ball & hit on on-side (and vice-versa). When such things happen footwork takes a back-seat and only mind-game comes to the focus!

For the moment KL Rahul is so poor at his mind, hence he looks way way inferior to Babar! Hence you should not compare Rahul & Babar because the latter is already well settled in his team!
Pakistan drew 1-1 against England in England earlier in May, in difficult conditions and infact dominated England in that Test match with a team that hasn't even played half the amount of Tests your superstars have played. If you're looking for excuses for this performance, this is not the moment to do it.

Coming back to this thread, Babar Azam scored more runs in one innings than KL Rahul managed in two here, and was looking good for more against a similar bowling attack in similar conditions
 
Pakistan drew 1-1 against England in England earlier in May, in difficult conditions and infact dominated England in that Test match with a team that hasn't even played half the amount of Tests your superstars have played. If you're looking for excuses for this performance, this is not the moment to do it.

Coming back to this thread, Babar Azam scored more runs in one innings than KL Rahul managed in two here, and was looking good for more against a similar bowling attack in similar conditions

Pakistan is always an unpredictable team whether they are strong or weak, especially their bowling. When you are good at bowling, you are more likely to win Test matches here & there (regardless of home or away!) When a team is dependent on only batting, they will on most occasions end up drawing test matches! And in such low scoring matches, it becomes a case of bowling shootout between two teams where more likely Indians may fail... First thing you should sort out is losing to teams like Sri Lanka at home (for that the batting has to be damn good).

I am not calling our batsmen as superstars (in Tests). They have lost their way... Pujara & Rahane should have been by now, and Rahul a settled prospect, but definitely Dhawan & Rohit are superstars for today's standards in ODIs (they are not competing with Gilchrist, Ponting, Lara, etc and against Donald, Mc.Grath, Akram) Kohli is a superstar regardless of whether you or I agree... But you can't ignore the fact that India is strong at home and they are very competitive outside even with all these issues...

Regarding thread, I am the first man to oppose such threads... I don't mind Babar is far superior or whatever... First you should not compare a person who is trying to find a spot in the team with a man who is the mainstay in his team! The mind is so relaxed and it reflects on the footwork, execution or whatever. You may call this as an excuse... But I am not worried about comparisons between players, I am more worried about the mindset of the players... If you people find it good to call your players as greater, then I don't mind it...

But whenever this guy Rahul is struggling for his own sake, I find it stupidity to pop up this thread and glorify Babar & his achievement! Babar should be compared with Kohli (both are mainstays for their respective teams) if comparison is so essential!
 
I think Babar will be a good player for Pakistan.. Their top 5 bat ever behind inzi, miandad, YK and Yousuf and just ahead of Anwar..

KL will be a top IPL draw but a failure in international matches and failure at test level.. Unfortunately after Kohli we don’t have the next big thing yet hopefully one of the youngsters can take the mantle in next 3-4 years..
 
Time may just be running out for Rahul in Tests, Dhawan could be back next match unless he gets a score 2nd innings. Vijay being rubbish offers hope though
 
Rahul test batting average drop to 37 .Seems like it won.t take long for babar to surpass him in test
 
Lol Babar Azam is ofcourse a much better batsman than Rahul in test cricket. Rahul has better stroke play though and will be more handy in white ball cricket, especially in sub continent
 
Babar scored 60 odd in the first test match against England this year. Rahul still hasn't done anything of note in this series.
 
Very disappointed with Rahul. He has been a dud this entire series. Even Ashwin has more runs than him I think in the Test series
 
Watching Rahul bat yesterday reminded me so much of young ABD's day.

Exceptionally gifted, just need to get the mentality right and clear and runs will start flowing. As of now, he is a hit and miss but I see him becoming a central part of Indian team when Kohli will be past his peak and close to his retirement.
 
I was circumspect of picking Rahul in England but so far he's looked much more solid with bat than I expected.It was stupid decision to drop Dhawan after 1st in SA where he looked in good touch(also he looked in great touch in that following SA Odi series).As expected,Rahul disappointed in 2nd Test of SA series with his pathetic shot selection by playing at deliveries which he should've left.

It is evident that his game has become more solid and I think he is only going to improve now.

On current form after Kohli,there is not much to seperate between the likes Rahane,Pujara,Vijay,Dhawan and Rahul.

But due to his exceptional fielding-Potentially a quality slip catcher which is a gold dust for India whenever they travel overseas and Young Age,Rahul would probably be my 2nd picked Indian batsmen after Kohli in Tests as of now.
 
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This thread is quite. seems like the hype have slow down for rahul

Rahul is an IPL hack. Kohli was at least making headlines with his legendary knocks in ODIs before he became a great test bat. Rahul has done zilch outside IPL, it was cringe to see his 'fans' (lol) compare him to Kohli.
 
Rahul has taken 7 catches in a single test in England. It's a record for a non-wicketkeeper.

Beat that Babar! :sarf
 
To summarize the thread so far, Rahul is doing better than Babar in Tests and T20I and Babar is bossing Rahul in ODIs :faheem
 
Rahul is a special player. Give him some time. He is doing the toughest job of opening the batting. I have no doubt he is an all-format player and will become world-class in each of them.
 
Watching Rahul bat yesterday reminded me so much of young ABD's day.

Exceptionally gifted, just need to get the mentality right and clear and runs will start flowing. As of now, he is a hit and miss but I see him becoming a central part of Indian team when Kohli will be past his peak and close to his retirement.

This is spot on. Not only is Rahul's batting aesthetically pleasing, but he has the ability to go absolute bonkers. He needs to be given a long run and just play freely.
 
rahul in england so far

Matches:4(one inning remaining)

Inning :7

Runs:113

Average:16

Highest score:36

after playing seven inning in eng rahul is yet to score a fifty on the other hand babar score 68 notout in his First test in england .
 
rahul in england so far

Matches:4(one inning remaining)

Inning :7

Runs:113

Average:16

Highest score:36

after playing seven inning in eng rahul is yet to score a fifty on the other hand babar score 68 notout in his First test in england .
Yeah he has failed badly, but i won't say that babar is a better test batsman. He will be better if he starts performing instead of relying on rahul's downfall.
But i think that babar will come good in tests. Just a matter of time.
Rahul should be given more chances even if he fails in final match he should open in Australia. Even kohli got chances after failing badly in eng. Rahul will improve, he isn't a ftb for sure.
 
Yeah he has failed badly, but i won't say that babar is a better test batsman. He will be better if he starts performing instead of relying on rahul's downfall.
But i think that babar will come good in tests. Just a matter of time.
Rahul should be given more chances even if he fails in final match he should open in Australia. Even kohli got chances after failing badly in eng. Rahul will improve, he isn't a ftb for sure.

Home season is starting up for pak and i think babar will turn around his test career.
Rahul should justify his place by performing well instead of playing due to potential which will send wrong message to him and other youngster in india
 
Surprised this thread hasn't been bumped yet following this great innings by Rahul. He lacks consistency as he has had an awful series until now but no doubt Babar Azam isn't capable of playing these type of innings.
 
Surprised this thread hasn't been bumped yet following this great innings by Rahul. He lacks consistency as he has had an awful series until now but no doubt Babar Azam isn't capable of playing these type of innings.

We expect consistent performances from him,we already know that on his day he can look world class
 
Surprised this thread hasn't been bumped yet following this great innings by Rahul. He lacks consistency as he has had an awful series until now but no doubt Babar Azam isn't capable of playing these type of innings.

He is.

Excellent innings from Rahul, regardless.
 
Surprised this thread hasn't been bumped yet following this great innings by Rahul. He lacks consistency as he has had an awful series until now but no doubt Babar Azam isn't capable of playing these type of innings.

He is. Was looking really good at Lords' before he got injured. Would probably have got a ton there
 
Babar would've never played an innings like this even if his life depended on it. Overrated trash.
 
So after doing zilch in the first 4 matches when the series was alive, he finally scores a century in a dead rubber. He was the worst batsman in the top order during the first 4 matches.
 
So after doing zilch in the first 4 matches when the series was alive, he finally scores a century in a dead rubber. He was the worst batsman in the top order during the first 4 matches.

There are no dead rubbers in test cricker with test championships coming.
 
Where r u sir? Are you still 'Sharminda' for Rahul?

Not sharminda now. Really happy now. Wish I could have witnessed the innings.😢 Was busy whole day. Will watch the highlights. Surely, should've been a quality innings to score a big hundred on fifth day.

That's why I said he should be given a series in Aus (even if he fails this innings)
 
Not sharminda now. Really happy now. Wish I could have witnessed the innings.😢 Was busy whole day. Will watch the highlights. Surely, should've been a quality innings to score a big hundred on fifth day.

That's why I said he should be given a series in Aus (even if he fails this innings)

Good man. But just one advice, never ever feel 'Sharminda' for the team you support. Its a privilege and not a right. As a supporter, you must keep you chin high and support the team through thick and thin. Hope you would remember this in future. Good luck
 
I already said, he is the next ABD in making. Some were comparing him to Moyo.

In a matter of next 2-3 years, cricket will produce two really top superstars of the game across all fomats. One will be Indian KL Rahul and the other will be South African Aiden Markram.
 
Much like Babar’s 100 in Australia, it was a fine effort but not to be celebrated.
 
Good man. But just one advice, never ever feel 'Sharminda' for the team you support. Its a privilege and not a right. As a supporter, you must keep you chin high and support the team through thick and thin. Hope you would remember this in future. Good luck

Bro, there's nothing to be sharminda about. It was just a banter, wish u could read it. I have lot of things in life to be sharminda about, than this cricket. I supported and, will.
 
Bro, there's nothing to be sharminda about. It was just a banter, wish u could read it. I have lot of things in life to be sharminda about, than this cricket. I supported and, will.

Good stuff BRO. On topic, who you think is the better batsman, bro?
 
Babar is a better player than umar rahul and i am someone who doesnt even think highly of Babar tbh.
 
I think we should wait till we see more from Babar in tests and more from Rahul in ODIs.
 
Babar is a better player than umar rahul and i am someone who doesnt even think highly of Babar tbh.

As a self-proclaimed critic of Babar can you explain to us all why he has 0 centuries in SENA as compared two Umar Rahul's 2?
 
As a self-proclaimed critic of Babar can you explain to us all why he has 0 centuries in SENA as compared two Umar Rahul's 2?

As a critic of babar can you explain how many test matches he played in Sena compare to KR Rahul.

2 matches played by babar azam compare to KR rahul 7.i hope you do understand difference b/w 7 test and 2
 
Seriously, it's a complete mismatch. Rahul is simply a better talent whether he is scoring runs or not. I am not even sure if Babar can make it to this Indian team, seeing at his poor strike rate.
 
Good stuff BRO. On topic, who you think is the better batsman, bro?

Rahul has much higher ceiling but, I won't say Rahul until he starts performing "consistently".

Babar is consistent but, needs to move to another level. His incompetency when it comes to hitting won't help Pakistan. But, still he's their second best bat after Fakhar, as he can hold one end, as Pak is known for collapses.

In other words, I think I even said it earlier, both are and should be the members of playing 11 in their teams. It's just about who overcomes their short coming FIRST. Is it Rahul who becomes consistent or, is it Babar who raises his level?

I am eagerly waiting for WC, a lot of debates, Pandya vs Faheem, Babar vs Rahul, Kohli vs Sarfraz (as captains) will have some sort of answers.
 
As a self-proclaimed critic of Babar can you explain to us all why he has 0 centuries in SENA as compared two Umar Rahul's 2?

Babar does have centuries in countries outside Asia.

From top of my head, he has a century in Australia.
 
Nope. 0 test centuries in SENA.

Babar's test record, which is small in sample size, is mediocre but he is one of the best ODI bats as of today. He is top 3.

Rahul is not best at anything. Neither tests, ODIs or t20Is.
 
Babar is technically more sound and dont have any aparent weakness. KL has issues with incoming deliveries. So Babar will score more consistently. But KL has better array of strokeplay and on his day can be very dangerous.
 
Babar is technically more sound and dont have any aparent weakness. KL has issues with incoming deliveries. So Babar will score more consistently. But KL has better array of strokeplay and on his day can be very dangerous.

KL can also up the ante whereas Babar is slow and doesnt have a power game.
 
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