IPL 2022: Shoaib Akhtar says ‘it would be great’ to see Virat Kohli and Babar Azam playing together – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

By Chris On Mar 30, 2022

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has recently opined that he would have loved to see India batting maestro Virat Kohli and his Pakistani counterpart Babar Azam playing together in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The ‘Rawalpindi Express’, as Akhtar is often called, had represented Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, but Pakistan cricketers have been banned from taking part in the tournament since 2009 due to border tensions between the two countries.

File image of former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. AFP

“It would be great to see Babar Azam and Virat Kohli playing together in the IPL. How nice it would be if they open the innings in the IPL one day,” Akhtar was quoted as saying during a chat with Sportskeeda.

Had Pakistani cricketers been allowed into the IPL auctions, Akhtar said Babar, currently the top-ranked T20I batter, would have fetched for a price ranging between Rs 15 crore and Rs 20 crore.

“In the auction, Babar would go for 15-20 crore,” the 46-year-old predicted.

Babar ranks sixth among the all-time leading run-scorers in T20Is, amassing 2,620 runs from 73 matches. He has a strike-rate of 129.12. Kohli, meanwhile, is ranked third with 3,296 runs at a strike-rate of 137.67. Babar was also the top run-getter at last year’s T20 World Cup in UAE, with 303 runs to his name.

Kohli is currently the all-time leading run-scorers in the IPL, with 6,324 runs across all the 15 seasons thus far.

While Kohli is currently plying trade with RCB in the ongoing IPL season, Pakistan skipper Babar is involved in a three-match ODI series against Australia in Pakistan, that will be followed by a T20I.

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