Former Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has thrown his support behind Indian cricket star Virat Kohli in his quest to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most centuries in One Day Internationals (ODIs) during the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Kohli, one of the modern era’s most prolific ODI batsmen, currently has 47 centuries to his name in 282 ODIs, leaving him just two centuries short of Tendulkar’s enduring record of 49 centuries in 463 ODIs.
Sachin Tendulkar also holds the record for the highest run tally in ODI cricket, amassing an impressive 18,426 runs during his illustrious career, while Kohli has accumulated 13,168 runs in the format.
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With at least eight more ODIs to be played by India in the 2023 World Cup, Ponting has expressed his belief that Kohli has a good chance of surpassing Sachin’s record during the tournament, especially on home soil.
“I think he will. I think he’ll definitely get two hundreds, whether he gets the three is another thing,” Ponting stated during the latest episode of The ICC Review podcast.
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Ponting continued, “But the venues, the wickets, and the grounds in India are just so conducive to scoring, making big runs. Who knows with him, it’s probably his last World Cup as well.”
Ponting emphasized Kohli’s determination and hunger for success, predicting that the Indian captain could achieve this milestone by the end of the World Cup.
“If he gets that mindset, and we saw that he’s in pretty good touch, and we know with him he’s always hungry. He’s a winner, he wants success for himself and for his team.”
Ponting concluded by acknowledging the remarkable achievement of scoring 49 ODI centuries and praised Kohli’s work ethic and commitment to the game.
“Forty-nine one-day international hundreds are amazing. But he deserves that, he works hard. You watch him even in the field, game one, he just looks ultra-fit, is up for the contest every ball, whether it’s in the field or with these batting hands. So I’d never write him off,” Ponting added.
Virat Kohli, known for his consistency and ability to chase down targets, has scored two centuries in past Cricket World Cups and remains determined to achieve this milestone on the biggest stage in ODI cricket.
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