Breaking the century drought: How Babar Azam mirrors Virat Kohli

Comparisons between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli have become a global cricket pastime. Some find them premature, while others find them inevitable; however, cricket has a way of creating parallels that write their own narrative.

Babar’s century on 14 November, his first international hundred in 807 days, sits perfectly alongside Kohli’s famous dry spell, because both men ended their droughts after exactly 83 innings.

It is a coincidence too striking to ignore, especially when both are seen as modern batting figureheads for their nations.

Babar’s unbeaten 102 off 119 balls against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi was more than a match-winning knock; it was a release, a breaking-the-shackles moment.

His previous international hundred came against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup, and although he accumulated runs throughout the drought, that final step into three figures kept slipping away.

Interestingly, Virat Kohli lived his own version of this struggle. After scoring 136 against Bangladesh in November 2019, he waited 1,021 days for his next century.

That next century finally arrived in September 2022 when he struck an unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup.

What the 83 Innings Reveal?

Virat Kohli entered his drought already carrying the legacy of 70 international centuries in 395 matches.

Even during his leanest stretch, he managed to score 2,708 runs at an average of 36.10 and a strike rate of 73.24, a reminder that his slump was more about conversion than contribution.

He struck 26 fifties, registered nine ducks, and still produced a boundary count of 251 fours and 48 sixes.

Babar’s path told a slightly different story. Before the start of his drought, he had 31 centuries across 257 international matches. While Kohli was already onto greatness before his drought, Babar was still on his way to it.

Across his 83-innings wait, Babar Azam amassed 2,423 runs at an average of 31.06 and a strike rate of 78.13, with 20 fifties and five ducks, supported by 266 fours and 32 sixes.

A Format-by-Format Story

The Test Chapter

Test cricket was unkind to both. Babar played 12 Tests and scored 594 runs at 24.75, managing four half-centuries but constantly wrestling with form and long spells of scratchy batting.

His highest score during the drought across all formats was his 81-run Test knock against South Africa in Cape Town earlier this year.

Kohli’s Test stint during his drought was slightly more productive, with 872 runs at 27.25 across 18 matches. Even then, he too lived in the same zone as Babar.

Both men saw their Test aura dim, and in many ways, their struggles in whites amplified the psychological weight of the drought.

ODIs: The Familiar Strength

In ODIs, the format where both have historically excelled, Kohli again maintained a narrow edge.

Babar scored 1,012 runs at 33.73 in 33 innings, with nine fifties, but rarely controlled games the way he once did. His strike rate of 77.99 remained steady, yet something always felt half-finished.

Kohli, meanwhile, used ODIs as his survival ground. In 23 innings, he made 824 runs at 35.82, striking at 87.94, and producing ten fifty-plus scores.

T20Is: The Real Separation

The clearest difference came in the shortest format. Babar Azam scored 817 runs at 34.04 with a strike rate of 131.56, which on paper looks solid.

But he struggled with tempo, intent, and the new demands of the format, resulting in him getting dropped from the T20I side before making his comeback against South Africa last month.

Virat Kohli, on the other hand, continued to be India’s dependable chaser. His 1,012 runs at 50.60 and strike rate of 140.94 told the story of a player who remained a match-winner even when hundreds refused to arrive.

His unbeaten 94 against West Indies in Hyderabad was his best knock across all formats during the drought.

Home vs Away

Virat Kohli was significantly stronger at home during his drought, scoring 1,255 runs at 43.27 in 35 innings, with 13 fifty-plus scores.

Away from home, his average dipped sharply to 30.10 across 39 innings, showing signs of struggle in more demanding environments. Neutral venues offered a slightly better balance at 39.85 in nine innings.

Babar Azam’s graph during the drought is the exact opposite. He struggled at home, averaging just 24.00 in 30 innings, a number that feels alien to his usual elegance.

But the moment he travelled, he rediscovered himself. Away from home, he averaged 35.42, delivering 13 fifties and looking far more assured. Even at neutral venues, he held a strong 34.63 across 13 innings.

Two Careers at Different Crossroads

Once Virat Kohli broke the drought, his resurgence was emphatic. He went on to score 11 more centuries in the next two years, leading India to the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, and retired from Tests and T20Is with one of cricket’s most complete careers.

Whether he adds to his ODI tally at 37 remains uncertain, but his legacy is sealed.

Babar’s story is still being written. At 31, he is entering the age where batters often flourish.

With the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon, he has time, talent, and a fresh breath of confidence. This century may not just be an end to a drought; it may very well be the start of his second act.