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Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikander Raza appeared on a Pakistani show and picked Virat Kohli as his favoured batting partner over Babar Azam, thus issuing an ultimate verdict on the viewpoint of players over the Kohli-Babar comparisons.
Indian players being compared with greats from Pakistan emerged as something new to modern-day cricket. In former times, the players from these two teams were only part of an intense competition and an age-old rivalry.
However, ever since Babar Azam, the Pakistan batter, emerged as one of the strongest candidates from the nation fighting alongside Virat Kohli for the number 1 spot, the comparison has been insane between the two players from the rival nations.
Virat Kohli gets picked over Babar Azam by PSL star
After the end of the PSL season, Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikander Raza was seen on a Pakistani talk show. He, alongside the presenter, was asked in front of a live Pakistani audience whom he would prefer to bat with.
The two legends of modern cricket from India and Pakistan, Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, were identified for the role. Raza did not hesitate much and went on to pick 'Virat Kohli', the Indian legend, as his batting partner.
This adds to the long list of cricketers and experts who have picked the Indian legend over the likes of any other modern-day cricketer, especially in the limited-overs formats.
Sikandar Raza COOKED Babar Azam and entire Pakistan with just one answer
— Brutal Truth (@sarkarstix) May 30, 2026
When asked whom would he prefer to bat with — Babar Azam or Virat Kohli, Raza said, “Virat Kohli.”
Nobody respects PSL “tiger” Babar Azam pic.twitter.com/eQbCnt22XP
Pakistani fans 'shocking' response after Sikander Raza's statements
After Sikander Raza's response, where he picked Kohli over the Pakistani cricketer, the live audience in the studio who were spectating for the Zimbabwean star cheered loudly for Kohli's name.
There were rounds of applause throughout the audience, and the kind of response received by the Indian star remains a truly mesmerizing sight, as Pakistan fans favoured good cricket over communal and national rivalries.
This has, anyway, been noted: Virat has been a starlet for the Pakistani cricket fans as well. Though the match winner has come in the way of Pakistan's victory on several occasions, they are true fans of his cricketing brilliance.
Sikander Raza's numbers in IPL and PSL
Sikander Raza, the 40-year-old all-rounder, was originally born in Sialkot in Pakistan but later played international cricket for Zimbabwe. In his international career, he has nearly scored 9000 runs while being on the verge of completing 250 wickets across all three formats of the game.
Raza has been part of several PSL seasons since his debut in 2018/19 and has represented the Karachi Kings and now the Lahore Qalandars in recent seasons. Promising with the bat, he has amassed 753 runs and has picked 26 scalps.
In the IPL, he has played just two seasons, amassing 182 runs across 9 matches and picking just three wickets. He featured in the IPL for the Punjab Kings in the 2023 and 2024 seasons; however, he has been unsold since then.
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