Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are two of the biggest batting names of the modern era. Kohli made his international debut for India in 2008, while Babar started his Pakistan career in 2015.
Their careers are at different stages. Kohli has retired from Test and T20I cricket and now plays only ODIs for India. Babar continues to play all three formats for Pakistan. Here is a detailed comparison of their international runs, averages, centuries, matches and records.
Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: Overall International Stats
| Stat | Virat Kohli | Babar Azam |
|---|---|---|
| International matches | 562 | 354 |
| International innings | 629 | 398 |
| Runs | 28,359 | 15,993 |
| Highest score | 254* | 196 |
| Batting average | 52.71 | 45.30 |
| Strike rate | 79.73 | 80.54 |
| Centuries | 85 | 32 |
| Fifties | 148 | 111 |
Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam in Tests
| Stat | Virat Kohli | Babar Azam |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 123 | 66 |
| Innings | 210 | 122 |
| Runs | 9,230 | 4,771 |
| Highest score | 254* | 196 |
| Average | 46.85 | 42.98 |
| Strike rate | 55.57 | 55.38 |
| Centuries | 30 | 9 |
| Fifties | 31 | 34 |
Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam in ODIs
| Stat | Virat Kohli | Babar Azam |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 314 | 143 |
| Innings | 302 | 140 |
| Runs | 14,941 | 6,626 |
| Highest score | 183 | 158 |
| Average | 58.59 | 53.43 |
| Strike rate | 93.95 | 86.59 |
| Centuries | 54 | 20 |
| Fifties | 79 | 38 |
Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam in T20Is
| Stat | Virat Kohli | Babar Azam |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 125 | 145 |
| Innings | 117 | 136 |
| Runs | 4,188 | 4,596 |
| Highest score | 122* | 122 |
| Average | 48.69 | 38.94 |
| Strike rate | 137.04 | 128.02 |
| Centuries | 1 | 3 |
| Fifties | 38 | 39 |
International Centuries: Kohli vs Babar
| Format | Virat Kohli | Babar Azam |
|---|---|---|
| Tests | 30 | 9 |
| ODIs | 54 | 20 |
| T20Is | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 85 | 32 |
ODI Milestones: Babar and Kohli
| ODI milestone | Babar Azam | Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
| 2,000 runs | 45 innings | 53 innings |
| 5,000 runs | 97 innings | 114 innings |
| 6,000 runs | 123 innings | 136 innings |
| 12,000 runs | Not reached | 242 innings |
Kohli vs Babar Against India and Pakistan
| Stat | Virat Kohli vs Pakistan | Babar Azam vs India |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 28 | 15 |
| Runs | 1,270 | 351 |
| Highest score | 183 | 68* |
| Average | 63.50 | 27.00 |
| Centuries | 4 | 0 |
| Fifties | 7 | 2 |
Current International Status
Virat Kohli announced his Test retirement in May 2025 and retired from T20I cricket after the 2024 T20 World Cup. He continues to represent India in ODIs. Babar Azam remains available across Tests, ODIs and T20Is for Pakistan. This means their career totals will continue to change at different rates because Babar is still playing three formats while Kohli’s career totals are now mainly changing through ODIs.