It was a year of obvious struggle for Virat Kohli and Babar Azam; however, both cricketers have different experiences in 2024. Seeing which cricketer struggled more in 2024 is easy – we just need to compare their overall performances across major competitions throughout the year.
Let’s check out who struggled more in 2024 across formats in international cricket between both players.
T20 World Cup 2024
Kohli
Virat Kohli combined nicely with captain Rohit Sharma to deliver India’s second T20 World Cup title in 2024. Kohli and Sharma ended India’s 17-year wait for a T20 WC crown last year, an achievement he receives much praise for even during troubling times.
Both players retired from T20 internationals immediately after securing this title for the Men in Blue.
Azam
Babar Azam could do next to nothing as Pakistan crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2024 in unceremonious fashion. The exit of Pakistan from this competition triggered a new phase of criticism towards the once-revered batter. Some reports suggest that Pakistan’s exit from last year’s T20 World Cup was a major reason behind Azam’s reduced role in the team’s setup across formats.
Test Cricket
Kohli faced issues in the Test cricket squad early on in 2024 as India faced England at home. The English handed India a shock first Test defeat – an experience that forced the hosts to deliver back-to-back wins against their visitors. India won the series 4 – 1, but the chinks in their Test armour became obvious after the England Test.
Other teams like New Zealand and Australia have taken full advantage of India’s weaknesses since that Test meeting. Kohli has been largely incapacitated by the last two Test teams they faced in 2024. However, the case is much worse for
Overall Form
It is evident that both Kohli and Azam did not get the sporting year they hoped for last year. Both players showed signs of dwindling form in international and franchise cricket throughout 2024. However, Kohli had some good moments in the T20 World Cup 2024, IPL 2024, and across Test series compared to Azam.
Babar Azam’s experience throughout 2024 was a terrible one; the former Pakistan captain will hope to revamp his career in 2025. Kohli is currently taking a lot of flak for India’s failure to dominate Australia during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024/25. The former Team India captain could respond with retirement after this series or forge ahead in 2025 while aiming at better performances.
Who Scored More Runs in 2024?
Babar Azam scored more runs in 2024 (1168) than Virat Kohli (655). However, scoring more runs in 2024 didn’t do much to boost Azam or Pakistan’s winning chances compared to Kohli.
Who Has a Better Average in 2024?
Azam finished 2024 with a 32.44 average, way higher than the abysmal 21.83 Virat Kohli recorded within the calendar year.
Who Struggled More in 2024?
Babar Azam struggled more in 2024 across cricket formats. His struggles led to being dropped from crucial series by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selectors. Another painful event in Azam’s 2024 calendar was the Test meeting vs Bangladesh. The player failed to provide a strong response to Pakistan’s former whipping boys, as Bangladesh snatched a series whitewash vs the Men in Green away from home.
Kohli had his rough moments in 2024 too (poor IPL finish, home Test loss vs New Zealand, etc.), but he had a better year overall than Azam.
Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: Which Cricketer Has the Better International Record Across Formats
Let’s see the records of Kohli and Azam in international formats as of December 31, 2024:
1. Virat Kohli vs Azam in Test Cricket
Virat Kohli’s Top 5 Test Records So Far
| Rank | Achievement | Details |
| – | Hundred in each innings of a match | Record achieved |
| – | Hundred and a ninety in a match | Record achieved |
| – | Hundred and a duck in a match | Record achieved |
| 2nd | Most player-of-the-series awards | 11 awards |
| 5th | Fastest to 7000 runs | 138 innings |
Kohli has a better record overall than Azam in Tests. Babar has always struggled to achieve great performances in Test cricket. He currently doesn’t have any record worth noting in the format.
2. Virat Kohli vs Azam in ODIs
Virat Kohli’s Top 5 ODI Test Records So Far
| – | 5000 runs and 50 fielding dismissals | Record achieved |
| 1st | Most runs in a series | 765 |
| 1st | Most hundreds against one team | 10 |
| 1st | Dismissed for 99 | 99 |
| 1st | Fastest to 13,000 runs | 267 innings |
| 1st | Most player-of-the-series awards | 7 awards |
Babar Azam’s Top 5 ODI Test Records So Far
| Rank | Achievement | Details |
| – | 5000 runs and 50 fielding dismissals | Record achieved |
| 1st | Fastest to 5000 runs | 97 innings |
| 2nd | Hundreds in consecutive innings | 3 |
| 2nd | Most player-of-the-series awards | 5 awards |
| 3rd | Fifties in consecutive innings | 6 |
3. Virat Kohli vs Azam in T20Is
Virat Kohli’s Top 5 T20I Records So Far
| Rank | Achievement | Details |
| 1st | Most fifties in career | 39 |
| 1st | Fastest to 3500 runs | 96 innings |
| 1st | Most player-of-the-series awards | 21 awards |
| 2nd | Highest career batting average | 48.69 |
| 3rd | Most runs in career | 4188 |
Babar Azam’s Top 5 T20I Records So Far
| Rank | Achievement | Details |
| 1st | Most consecutive matches as captain of a team | 55 matches |
| 1st | Most fifties in career | 39 |
| 1st | Most fours in career | 447 |
| 1st | Fastest to 2500 runs | 62 innings |
| 2nd | Most runs in career | 4223 |
