Who Is The Greatest ODI Batsman? Ricky Ponting Reveals His Pick
Legendary Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting has no doubts about who holds the title of the greatest ODI batsman of all time.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting recently heaped praise on former India skipper Virat Kohli, calling him the greatest ODI batsman of all time.
Ponting told ICC Review: "I don't think I have seen a better player than Virat Kohli in the 50-over format." He also expressed confidence that Kohli has the potential to surpass Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most runs in ODI cricket.
Kohli further cemented his legacy with a historic knock against Pakistan in IND vs PAK Champions Trophy 2025 match in Dubai on February 23, where he smashed his record-extending 51st ODI century of his career.
During this remarkable innings, he became the fastest batsman in international cricket to reach 14,000 ODI runs, joining an elite club that includes cricketing legends Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.
Ponting said: "Now that he's (Virat Kohli) 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."
"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," he added.
With only a few years left in his international career, Virat Kohli has scored 14,085 ODI runs and remains 4,341 runs short of Sachin Tendulkar's all-time record of 18,426 runs. While the gap is considerable, Kohli's remarkable consistency keeps the chase alive.
"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)," Ponting said.
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