Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has shared that Virat Kohli’s popularity Down Under before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Ponting
stated that Kohli has earned it, having played well in his previous tours to Australia as well. Despite being short of runs recently, Kohli remains the man the hosts are wary of. He also averages 54.08 in Tests in Australia in 13 matches alongside 1352 runs.

On an episode of the ICC Review, Ponting said, “That’s what superstar players generate and create all around the world. And there’s lots of different degrees of that. You talk about the media here and the following that Virat has in Australia. That’s on the back of having been here and played well in the past. You think about other players like when Steve Smith goes to the UK and gets booed when he walks onto the ground. I mean, that’s all part of, I guess, the theatre that comes with international sports.”

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While Ricky Ponting doesn’t expect verbal altercations during the Test series, he sees the matches in high-octane skillsets. He also said both teams will not want to give their opposition even an inch as well.

“I don’t know if spice is the right word, but I expect the game to be played sort of almost on the edge, if you like, with two of the best teams in the world not wanting to give an inch to each other. Not wanting to give an inch to the opposition, not wanting to lose a single contest through the course of those whole five Test matches. And I think that’s the beauty about these great rivalries we have in world sport,” Ricky Ponting concluded.