Pakistan continue to face strong criticism after their 61-run defeat to India in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 match in Colombo. Much of the blame has fallen on former captain Babar Azam, who failed to play a key role when the team needed stability.

Pakistan were chasing a target of 176 at the R. Premadasa Stadium. However, the innings started poorly as the team lost three wickets within the first two overs. Babar and Usman Khan tried to rebuild the innings and took the score from 13/3 to 34/4 during a brief recovery phase.

Soon after, Babar attempted to counterattack. He played a wild slog against Axar Patel but missed the ball and was bowled for just five runs. His early dismissal added to Pakistan’s troubles and drew strong reactions from fans.

Kohli comparison returns

After Babar’s dismissal, many fans on social media began recalling India’s famous win over Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne. In that match, Virat Kohli had played a memorable innings, scoring an unbeaten 82 off 53 balls. He led India from a difficult position of 31/4 to a thrilling last-ball victory while chasing 160.

Babar has often been compared to Kohli, but former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik said such comparisons are not fair.

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Karthik said, “For a long time now, there has been a comparison which I find unfair, but let me use that now. Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. I cannot imagine Virat Kohli playing that shot that early in the innings. That is submission,"

He added, “It is not having belief in what it takes to win or how to take your team closer to victory. That wild slog from Babar Azam showed he wanted to keep up with the run rate, and that is not what he does normally,"

Karthik backs Abhishek Sharma

Karthik also spoke about handling pressure in big matches. He said strong players absorb pressure and build their innings step by step.

“That absorption of pressure is what makes greatness. Every game cannot be easy, where you just come and play a few shots. When I look at Babar Azam, I feel that conviction and belief weren’t there. He’s nowhere close to being the best in the world, I think Abhishek Sharma is the best in the world currently," Karthik said.

Possible changes in Pakistan team

Meanwhile, reports suggest that Pakistan’s team management is considering major changes for their final group match against Namibia. According to sources, senior players like Shaheen Afridi may also be dropped after the loss to India.

News agency Press Trust of India quoted a source as saying, “Late night the management think tank decided enough was enough and it was to bench Babar and Shaheen and try out Salman Mirza/Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman against Namibia on Wednesday,"