Ricky Ponting hails Virat Kohli as 'best 50-over player'
What's the story
Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has hailed Indian cricketer Virat Kohli as the "best 50-over player" he has ever seen.
Ponting's praise comes after Kohli's latest century against Pakistan in the ongoing Champions Trophy, which also took his ODI runs tally past 14,000.
Only two players, Kumar Sangakkara and Sachin Tendulkar, have scored more runs than him in this format.
Here's what Ponting had to say about Kohli
Best ODI player
Ponting praises Kohli
The former Aussie skipper showered praise on Kohli's ODI performance stating, "He's obviously been a champion player for a long, long time. And particularly, probably in the white-ball formats."
"In fact, I think I'm on record before saying I don't think I've ever seen a better 50-over player than Virat Kohli," he told on the ICC Review podcast.
"It just goes to show how good Sachin was," Ponting stated while speaking about Sachin's greatness and longevity in the game.
Record chase
Ponting backs Kohli to surpass Sangakkara's ODI record
Ponting said he believes Kohli could soon go past Sangakkara's ODI run record.
He said, "Now that he's gone past me and only two ahead of him, I'm sure he wants to give himself the best chance to be remembered as the all-time leading run-scorer in the game," Ponting said.
"Obviously, physically wise, he's probably as fit as he's ever been and works exceptionally hard on that side of his game," Ponting added.
Match-winning knocks
Ponting commends Kohli's performance in high-pressure matches
Ponting also lauded Kohli's knack of delivering under pressure, particularly in high-stakes matches against Pakistan.
He compared Kohli's match-winning innings in Dubai to his vital knock in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Melbourne against the same opponent.
"Look, I've always said big games equal big names. Your reputation is forged in what you do in the biggest contests on the international stage," Ponting said, emphasizing the importance of these performances.
Match recap
India claim their third win over Pakistan in Champions Trophy
India hammered Pakistan in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The Men in Blue successfully chased down 242 after they bowled out Pakistan. India's win was powered by ton-up Kohli and Shreyas Iyer.
Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya shared five wickets to derail Pakistan.
India now have three wins against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.
Although India lost Rohit Sharma early, Shubman Gill, Kohli, and Iyer consolidated.
Milestone
Fastest to 14,000 ODI runs
During his knock, Kohli also unlocked another significant achievement. With his 15th run, he completed 14,000 of those in ODI cricket.
Kohli has become only the third player with this feat, joining Tendulkar and Sangakkara.
Kohli became the fastest to 14,000 ODI runs (299 matches and 287 innings).
The Indian batter is miles ahead of Tendulkar (350 innings) and Sangakkara (378 innings).
Stats
Kohli's stellar ODI numbers at a glance
With his unbeaten knock (100 off 111 balls) against Pakistan, Kohli has now raced to 14,085 ODI runs at an impressive average of 58.20.
He also boasts a strike rate of 93.41, alongside a record 51 tons and 73 fifties across 299 ODIs.
Meanwhile, across 287 ODI innings, his best score is worth 183, which he hammered against Pakistan in 2012.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Kohli has amassed 778 runs against Pakistan at 59.84.