Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has picked Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam and star Indian batter Virat Kohli to emerge as the top run-scorers in the upcoming 2023 Asia Cup. India is scheduled to commence their Asia Cup journey with a match against Pakistan on September 2 at Pallekele International Stadium, Sri Lanka.
While having a discussion on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers highlighted Virat Kohli and Babar Azam as his top choices to be the leading run-scorers in the Asia Cup. He emphasized their ability to concentrate and perform consistently for runs. Babar’s remarkable performance where he scored 151 runs in Pakistan’s initial match against Nepal played a pivotal role in his team’s gaining a 238-run victory in Multan.
“My favorites for the Asia Cup are definitely Virat and Babar. I haven’t seen a lot of the Sri Lankans or other players in incredible form. That’s where Virat and Babar are different. When they score runs, they score 130s-150s. They really knuckle down. I think we would see their names up there and I would be pleasantly surprised to see someone else up there,” said De Villiers.
De Villiers also praised Pakistan’s fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi. He said that Afridi is a crucial asset for the Pakistan cricket team. Afridi made a strong start to his Asia Cup 2023 campaign by taking two wickets in Pakistan’s match against Nepal in Multan.
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“Not quite the same rhythm we have seen from Shaheen Afridi in the past. I don’t know if he’s a little bit undercooked or if there’s a tiny little injury. Maybe he is just saving his energy for when it matters most. He may be trying to find a little bit of rhythm knowing there are much bigger games coming up. He’s a huge player for Pakistan,” De Villiers added.
