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Gautam Gambhir praises Babar Azam (Source- Twitter)
Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has always been in the news due to his controversial comments and his actions on and off the field. He recently met Bollywood actor Shah Rukh, co-owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). After the meeting, speculations were rife that the former Lucknow Super Giants mentor would join the Kolkata-based franchise in the same role.
Now in an interview with Star Sports, Gambhir has praised the exceptional talent of Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. He expressed confidence in the Pakistan captain's ability to set the upcoming World Cup on fire with his skills. Apart from his century against Nepal, Babar struggled to get going in the recently concluded 2023 Asia Cup. However, Pakistan will be hoping for their key player to lead from the front in the upcoming World Cup.
Gambhir stated that we indeed have the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, and David Warner in the pool, but Babar's quality is unmatched. His diverse range of batting shots sets him apart from the other cricketers, believes the cricketer-turned-politician.
Babar Azam has every quality that he can set this World Cup on fire: Gambhir
The former KKR skipper said, "Babar Azam has that every quality that he can set this World Cup on fire. I have seen very few players who have a lot of time to bat. I believe that there is Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Joe Root and David Warner but Babar Azam has a different level of quality."
"What makes Babar truly exceptional is his extensive repertoire of batting shots. He's the only batsman in the world who possesses such a rich array of strokes. Babar Azam has an abundance of batting time, a quality not seen in many contemporary batsmen. His calm and composed demeanour allows him to accumulate runs steadily," Gambhir added.
The 28-year-old batter has played 108 matches and scored 5409 runs in 105 innings and has an average of 58.16. He has 19 centuries and 28 fifties to his name and holds the record for being the quickest to reach 5000 ODI runs in 97 innings. Meanwhile, Pakistan's pre-World Cup preparations in Dubai were marred due to Visa Delay issues. They will start off their campaign against the Netherlands on October 6.