The debate over the greatest ODI batter of all time never seems to end. Is it Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Viv Richards, Virat Kohli, or someone else? While opinions vary, Australian legend Ricky Ponting does not doubt in his mind. Having played alongside and against some of the finest batters, including Tendulkar, Ponting believes there hasn’t been a better 50-over player than Kohli.

Ponting’s glowing praise for Kohli comes just after the Indian maestro struck his record-extending 51st ODI century, guiding India to a six-wicket win over Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. In the process, Kohli became the fastest player in history to reach 14,000 ODI runs, joining an exclusive club alongside Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better 50-over player than Virat Kohli,” Ricky Ponting told ICC Review. “Now that he’s gone past me on the all-time run charts and only has two ahead of him, I’m sure he’ll push himself to be remembered as the leading run scorer in ODI history.”

ALSO READ: Navjot Singh Sidhu Praises Rohit Sharma’s Reaction To Virat Kohli’s Century

Ponting also highlighted Kohli’s exceptional fitness and dedication, stating, “Physically, he’s as fit as ever. He works incredibly hard on that aspect of his game. It’s crazy to think just how good Virat has been for so long, yet he’s still 4,000 runs behind Sachin.”

Currently, Kohli has 14,085 runs to his name, trailing Tendulkar’s record of 18,426 by 4,341 runs. At 36, time is not on his side, but Ponting refuses to rule out the possibility of Kohli surpassing the Little Master.

“It just shows how phenomenal Sachin was, but also how long he played. However, with someone like Virat, you never count him out. If his hunger remains, I wouldn’t bet against him breaking that record,” Ricky Ponting remarked.

Kohli’s latest century in Dubai was yet another testament to his ability to rise to the occasion, especially against Pakistan.

ALSO READ: Brydon Carse Ruled Out Of Champions Trophy 2025 Due To Toe Injury

“In 2022 at the T20 World Cup and now in the Champions Trophy, he’s once again stepped up against the team he prepares himself the most for. On a tricky pitch, with Pakistan posting a competitive total, India needed someone to play a match-winning innings,” Ricky Ponting noted. “Once again, it was Kohli who got the job done. He’s been a champion for a long, long time—especially in white-ball cricket, where his dominance in ODIs has been simply remarkable.”