Babar Azam says he can't be just like Virat Kohli

KARACHI: In every field, one has a role model that one looks to follow to progress in that particular sphere, so does young and enthusiastic Pakistani player and Karachi Kings’ leading batsman Babar Azam.

When it comes to taking inspiration for his game, he says he looks towards Virat Kohli as his ideal player.

Babar Azam, himself current top T20 international batsman, seems truly impressed by the captain of neighbouring country.

Read More: Babar Azam tops T20I player rankings

“I do not just copy Virat Kohli, but I really follow him. I dream of becoming like him. Some people compare me with Virat, while there’s no comparison as I am just in the beginning. I feel that I cannot be just like him, but it can be closer to his instinct of playing,” he said.

He said the higher the commitment one has to his training the better he would perform in matches.

Babar Azam last month topped the ICC Player Rankings for T20I batsmen, following the conclusion of their series against New Zealand which the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 champions won 2-1.

Babar was rewarded for finishing as the leading run-scorer in the series (109 runs) with a rise of 11 places that has put him on top for the first time. He now leads Australia’s Aaron Finch (784 points) by two points.

Babar is the second Pakistan batsman to top the T20I rankings after Misbah-ul-Haq, who had climbed to number-one spot in 2009.