NEW DELHI: As batting maestro Virat Kohli makes his 300th ODI appearance, his exceptional career achievements continue to accumulate, positioning him for another significant milestone.
His latest unbeaten century against Pakistan in Dubai has elevated him to the fifth position in the ICC ODI rankings. This performance has also established him as only the third cricketer to achieve more than 14,000 runs in ODI cricket.
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Having surpassed Ricky Ponting’s ODI run total, Kohli now requires just 149 additional runs to move ahead of Kumar Sangakkara (14,234 runs) and claim the second position.
The record of Sachin Tendulkar’s 18,426 runs remains at a considerable distance. With Kohli trailing the Indian cricket icon by 4,341 runs, the possibility of overtaking this record remains a subject of discussion.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who once held the second spot in the all-time ODI runs list, shared his thoughts on Kohli’s pursuit of greatness.
“It’s crazy when you think about it, isn’t it? Just how good Virat’s been over such a long period, yet he’s still 4,000 runs behind Sachin. It just shows how extraordinary Sachin was—his longevity, his ability to sustain excellence for such a long time,” Ponting said in an ICC video on Instagram.
Tendulkar’s endurance in cricket stands unparalleled. The legendary batter participated in 463 ODIs and 200 Test matches during his illustrious career that extended beyond twenty years.
Kohli continues to demonstrate remarkable performance, distinguished by his outstanding physical conditioning and unwavering desire to score. Ponting suggests that these attributes might enable him to approach Tendulkar’s milestone.
“The one thing I’ve always used to judge excellence is how long you can maintain it. Sachin played 200 Test matches and over 500 ODIs — just incredible longevity and an incredible career,” Ponting added.
“With someone like Virat, you never write him off. Now that he’s gone past me, I’m sure he wants to give himself the best chance to be remembered as the all-time leading run scorer. As long as the hunger is there — and physically, he’s as fit as ever — there’s no reason to doubt him,” he said.
At 36, Kohli still has a few years left in his career. Given his consistency and fitness, surpassing Sangakkara is almost a certainty. However, closing the gap on Tendulkar will require sustained brilliance — something only a handful of players have managed in cricket history.
