NEW DELHI: Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has heaped praise on Virat Kohli, acknowledging the Indian superstar’s consistency and longevity in One Day Internationals (ODIs). Speaking on The ICC Review, Ponting — himself one of the highest run-scorers in ODIs — expressed confidence in Kohli’s ability to finish as the format’s all-time leading run-getter.
Kohli, during his stunning century against Pakistan in Dubai at the ICC Champions Trophy, surpassed the 14,000-run milestone, and is ahead of Ponting, who is fourth with 13,704 runs, in the all-time ODI run charts. With 14,085 runs, Kohli trails only Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) and Sachin Tendulkar (18,426).
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“He’s obviously been a champion player for a long, long time. And particularly in the white-ball formats, where he’s been an unbelievably good 50-over player,” Ponting said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better 50-over player than Virat Kohli. Now that he’s gone past me and with only two ahead of him, I’m sure he would want to give himself the best chance to be remembered as the all-time leading run scorer in the game.”
Ponting believes Kohli’s fitness and hunger will play a crucial role in his bid to surpass Tendulkar’s 18,426-run landmark, a record many once deemed untouchable. “As long as the hunger’s there — obviously physical-wise, he’s probably as fit as he’s ever been and works exceptionally hard on that side of his game,” he added.
Despite Kohli needing over 4,000 more runs to overtake Tendulkar, Ponting refuses to rule him out. “It’s crazy when you think about it, isn’t it? Just how good Virat’s been over such a long period of time, yet he’s still 4,000 runs behind Sachin. It just goes to show how good Sachin was, but also his longevity in the game,” Ponting said. “But with someone like Virat, you never write him off. If the hunger’s still there, then I’m never going to write him off.”
Kohli’s century against Pakistan was another testament to his brilliance in high-pressure situations. His unbeaten knock not only steered India to a six-wicket win but also cemented his legacy with more individual milestones.
The Indian bowlers, led by Kuldeep Yadav (3/40) and Hardik Pandya (2/31), restricted Pakistan to 241, ensuring a manageable chase. India stumbled early, but Kohli’s unshakable presence in the middle, combined with Shreyas Iyer’s composed 56, helped the Men in Blue get across the line comfortably.
