New Delhi: Since there isn’t a “better player” than Virat Kohli in ODIs, he could go past all-time highest run-getter Sachin Tendulkar, says Ricky Ponting.
Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 in India’s six-wicket win over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy to overtake Ponting and is now placed only behind Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara in the all-time list.
Though after his 51st ODI ton, Kohli became the quickest to 14,000 runs in ODIs but is still 4,341 runs behind Tendulkar’s 18,426, though he is certain to surpass Sangakkara’s 14,234.
Ponting said that considering Kohli’s fitness and desire he wouldn’t bet against the 36-year-old to overhaul Tendulkar’s mark.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better 50-over player than Virat Kohli. Now that he’s gone past me (in run-maker’s list) and only two (batters) 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 told ICC Review.
“Obviously physical-wise, he’s probably as fit as he’s ever been and works exceptionally hard on that side of his game. 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. 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 (to overtake Tendulkar),” he added.
‘Champion player’
Ponting noted that Kohli’s 111-ball knock differentiated victors India from the vanquished Pakistan, against whom he is doubly motivated to excel making him a ‘big-match’ player.
“Yeah, 2022 (T20 WC) and now, he stood up against the team that he would probably steel himself the most to play against. When Pakistan had batted first on a tricky wicket, it needed someone at the top of the order to play a match-winning innings like that.
“Once again, it was Kohli to get the job done. He’s 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,” the former Australia skipper said.
“You look at the two scorecards, it’s one, Virat making a 100, and lots of Pakistan starts without anyone going on and making a big score.
“I’ve said forever, in any format of the game, a 50 never wins you or your team anything. You have to get big scores. And so the individual big scores weren’t there, but the big partnerships weren’t there either,” he pointed out.
Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 in India’s six-wicket win over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy to overtake Ricky Ponting and is now placed only behind Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara in the all-time list. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
