New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS): Stylish Indian batter Virat Kohli has hailed Babar Azam as one of the best batters in the world across formats.

Kohli conveyed his admiration and recalled his first meeting with Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam in an interaction with Star Sports.

"The first interaction I had with him (Babar) was during the 2019 (ODI) World Cup after the game in Manchester," Kohli recalled in the interview filmed last year.

"I've known Imad (Wasim) since the Under-19 World Cup, and he said Babar wanted to have a chat.

"We sat down and spoke about the game. I saw a lot of regard and respect from him from day one, and that hasn't changed," Kohli said.

"Regardless of the fact he's probably the top batsman in the world across formats, and rightly so.

"Performs so consistently and I've always enjoyed watching him play," Kohli added.

Babar is currently the top-ranked player in the ICC Men's ODI Batting Rankings with 886 rating points. Kohli, meanwhile, is in the ninth spot with 705 rating points.

The Pakistan batter is also in the top five of the rankings in T20Is and Tests, confirming his status as an all-format superstar. He is the only player to rank in the top five across all formats in the Rankings table.

India and Pakistan are set to face off in Kandy during the Asia Cup's group stage on September 2. They might also compete in the Super 4 stage based on how they go in the first round. Additionally, the fierce rivalry will also resume in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup on October 14 in Ahmedabad.