Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has lavished praise on Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli, calling him the greatest One-Day International (ODI) batsman he has ever seen. Ponting also believes that Kohli has a strong chance of surpassing legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time ODI run tally.
Kohli recently scored an unbeaten century—his 51st in ODIs—guiding India to a dominant six-wicket victory over Pakistan in a Champions Trophy clash. The knock not only helped India maintain their dominance over their arch-rivals but also saw Kohli surpass Ponting’s career tally in ODI runs.
“Best ODI Player Ever”
Speaking on ICC Review, Ponting stated, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better 50-over player than Virat Kohli. Now that he’s moved ahead of me in the run charts and only two players remain ahead, I’m sure he will push himself to become the all-time leading run-scorer in ODIs.”
With 14,085 runs to his name, Kohli now joins an elite club that includes Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and the great Sachin Tendulkar, who holds the all-time record with 18,426 runs.
Kohli vs Tendulkar: The Chase Continues
Though Kohli is still 4,341 runs away from Tendulkar’s milestone, Ponting believes it’s not out of reach. “Physically, he’s as fit as ever and works incredibly hard on his game. It’s crazy to think how good Kohli has been for so long, yet he’s still thousands of runs behind Sachin. That shows how dominant Sachin was and his longevity in the sport,” Ponting remarked.
However, he did not rule out Kohli breaking the record. “With someone like Virat, you never write him off. If he stays hungry, then anything is possible.”
Kohli’s Love Affair with Pakistan Clashes
Ponting highlighted Kohli’s ability to rise to the occasion against Pakistan, citing his match-winning knock in the 2022 T20 World Cup as another example. “Whenever India plays Pakistan, Kohli brings out his best. In a tricky run chase, it needed a senior batter to step up, and once again, it was Kohli.”
Pakistan’s Struggles Continue
While Kohli shined, Pakistan’s batting once again failed to deliver. Ponting pointed out that Pakistan’s senior batters, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, could not rise to the occasion. “They needed to score big runs, but they haven’t been able to do that in the first two games. That’s why Pakistan might not even make the semi-finals,” he added.
Ponting also emphasized the importance of big individual scores in winning matches. “A fifty never wins you games. You need big scores and partnerships. Kohli provided that for India, while Pakistan lacked it.”
