Virat Kohli is still one of the best: Babar Azam backs under-fire India superstar ahead of Asia Cup meeting

Virat Kohli's lean patch has been a huge concern for the Indian team with the T20 World Cup just a couple of months away. Kohli has been far from his best for the Indian team across formats for a while now and has struggled for consistency. The batting maestro will be making his comeback in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 after a short hiatus from cricket.

Kohli last featured for the Indian team during their tour of England last month where his poor form with the willow continued as the batting maestro managed only 76 runs across one Test, two ODIs and as many T20Is. Kohli was subsequently rested from India's tour of West Indies and Zimbabwe and is set to mark his return in India's opener against Pakistan at Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28).

It has been a difficult few months for Kohli, who recently admitted he was struggling mentally due to his poor form and didn't touch a bat for a month for the first time in ten years during his recent break. Amid his rough patch, Kohli has once again found support from Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

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Babar, who had earlier shared a tweet extending his support to the under-fire India superstar, once again backed Kohli to spark a turnaround in the Asia Cup. Babar said every cricketer has to go through ups and downs in his career and Kohli remains one of the best batters in the world despite his current struggles.

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"Nothing is easy in life. There are challenges everywhere. It is up to you how you achieve things in life and how you overcome the challenges you face. Virat is still one of the best batters world cricket," Babar said on the eve of the India-Pakistan clash in Asia Cup 2022.

"How you compete against a player like him, and that too in different conditions, is very important. Every cricketer, if you ask me, faces ups and downs in their career. It's not that there is only success and no failures. You really need a strong mindset to handle things in life that often do not go in your favour," he added.

Babar, who has been one of the most consistent performers for Pakistan across formats since taking charge of the team, also spoke about his team's chances against India. Pakistan had defeated India comprehensively by ten wickets in the last meeting between the two sides at the same venue in the T20 World Cup last year.

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However, Babar believes the game is a thing of the past now and the meeting between the arch-rivals in the Asia Cup 2022 presents a fresh challenge. The Pakistan skipper said his team is not focused on the past but confident to prove their mettle on the field on Sunday.

"Honestly, that game is a thing of past now. It won't have an impact on Sunday's match. I am completely focused on tomorrow's game. The teams are kind of different, the conditions are different. Although as a side we are confident, we won't talk big ahead of the game. We wish to prove it on the field. As a captain, I am ready to give my 100 per cent," Babar said.

"Every cricket lover around the world waits for this clash. We, as cricketers also enjoy taking part in it. Both the teams try their best to keep their respective fans happy," he added.