Babar has consistently expressed his admiration for Kohli and has praised the Indian cricket legend on numerous occasions.
India and Pakistan are gearing up for an intense clash in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023, as the mind games have already begun to dominate the scene in both teams' camps. Initiating the verbal battle, the former captain of India, Virat Kohli, has showered praise upon Pakistan's skipper, Babar Azam, acknowledging his exceptional batting skills and subtly suggesting that he may be the finest batsman in the world at present.
As we approach the first encounter between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023, scheduled in three weeks' time, the anticipation and excitement are steadily building up in both camps.
"The first interaction I had with him [Babar] was during the 2019 [ODI] World Cup after the game in Manchester. I've known Imad [Wasim] since the Under-19 World Cup, and he said Babar wanted to have a chat. We sat down and spoke about the game. I saw a lot of regard and respect from him from day one, and that hasn't changed," Kohli said.
"Regardless of the fact he's probably the top batsman in the world across formats, and rightly so. Performs so consistently and I've always enjoyed watching him play."
It is worth noting that India and Pakistan have the potential to face each other five times from now until the end of the World Cup. These two nations are drawn in the same group of the Asia Cup, along with Nepal, and are highly likely to secure a top-two finish, considering Nepal's lack of experience at the highest level. If this scenario unfolds, India and Pakistan will reignite their intense rivalry in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup. Furthermore, if both teams emerge victorious in the Super Four stage, they will clash for the third time in the final of the Asia Cup.
Virat Kohli, the former Indian skipper, has a mix of bitter and sweet memories when it comes to encounters with Pakistan in the World Cup. He remains the only Indian captain to have suffered a defeat against Pakistan in this prestigious tournament. Pakistan's Babar Azam-led team comprehensively defeated India in the 2021 T20 World Cup. However, Virat had his revenge in the Australian edition of the T20 World Cup in 2022, where he led India to a remarkable victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The highly anticipated match between India and Pakistan is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 14, at the Narendra Modi Stadium. It is worth mentioning that India has never lost to Pakistan in the ODI World Cup, having emerged victorious in all seven previous encounters. The Indian team will strive to maintain their dominant run against their arch-rivals. Additionally, there is a possibility of India and Pakistan meeting in the semi-final or the final of the World Cup, depending on specific outcomes.
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