Adil Rashid, one of the finest leg-spinners of modern cricket, has shared his fascinating experience of bowling to two of the biggest batting icons of this era- Virat Kohli and Babar Azam.
Rashid not just pointed out Virat Kohli and Babar Azam’s similarities as world-class batters but also the subtle differences that make each of them unique to bowl at.
Rashid explained that both Kohli and Babar carry a similar mindset when they walk in to bat for their country. The England leg-spinner has noted that they don’t try to smash every ball out of the park from the start; instead, they focus on building their innings step by step before accelerating later.
Adil Rashid opens up on the similarities between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam
He feels this ability to construct long and calculated innings makes the Indian batting icon and Pakistan’s batting superstar so dangerous. Adil also pointed out that when they get set, they can bat deep into the innings and win the match for their teams.
Adil Rashid told Moeen Ali on the ‘Beard Before Wicket’ podcast, “Firstly, both of them are class players, as in proper batters who will look to build an innings and get a hundred, even though they can, like I say, on your day, take the game away from you, but generally they will look to build an innings and be in that number three or four position where they stay to the end and get their 150 or whatever it is. So very similar.”
Adil Rashid shares secrets of Virat Kohli and Babar Azam’s spin-bowling strategy
But one thing impressed Rashid most: the way both Kohli and Babar approached spin bowling. The England leg-spinner further recalled that neither of them tried to dominate him recklessly when they first faced him. Instead, they preferred to rotate strike, play grounded shots, and look for gaps.
He noted that both the Asian players are confident using the sweep shot, something that kept him guessing whenever he bowled to them. Rashid also revealed that Babar and Virat occasionally advanced down the pitch, but it was not their primary tactic.
However, Rashid said that Babar and Kohli’s playing styles are similar but have subtle differences. The Englishman pointed out that the former Indian captain displays aggressive intent even while building his innings, often aiming to dominate the bowler mentally, whereas Babar relies more on timing and elegance to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Adil Rashid highlights the difference in Babar Azam and Virat Kohli’s mindsets
Rashid further explained, “They both play sweep. When I played against them very early, they swept me. They’ve come down the pitch a few times, but not loads. So, they play me like through extra or hitting mid-on, mid-off, or back foot punch. It wouldn’t be like a thing of just trying to take me down and stuff. So, they both play similar ways.”
Additionally, Rashid revealed what really separates Kohli and Babar, and that is their mindset under pressure.
Virat Kohli thrives in tense run chases, using his sharp game sense to rotate strike, time big hits, and outsmart bowlers. On the other hand, Rashid felt Babar was more comfortable building an innings first rather than chasing big totals.