Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has hailed Virat Kohli as a quintessential big-match player and finds it rather amusing that debates still linger in India about his place in the T20I setup. Currently, Kohli is leading the charge for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2024, amassing an impressive 708 runs from 14 innings. This prolific run-scoring has placed him at the top of the leaderboard, making him the frontrunner for the coveted Orange Cap.
However, despite his stellar performance, Virat Kohli has faced some criticism regarding his strike rate. With the IPL seeing new benchmarks set for aggressive batting, including frequent 200-plus totals, there are discussions about whether Kohli’s scoring rate matches the evolving demands of the format. Nonetheless, Kohli’s strike rate of 155.60 this season is the highest he has ever achieved in a single IPL edition, showcasing his ability to adapt and excel.
Ricky Ponting, speaking to the International Cricket Council (ICC), firmly endorsed Kohli’s place in the Indian T20I team. “He (Kohli) is the first pick for me for India. Class and experience like that, you can’t replace,” Ponting remarked. He also expressed his bewilderment at the ongoing scrutiny in India, saying, “It’s funny with Virat. I think people in India just always try to find a reason not to pick him or a reason why he’s maybe not as good as some of these other guys in the T20 game.”
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Ponting recalled Kohli’s unforgettable innings of 82 against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup, where his performance was pivotal in securing a thrilling last-ball victory. “I remember having this chat and some other chats I did for the ICC about there’s some talk about Virat not being in their team only last year, but what happened when the big games come around, he was one of the guys who got the job done,” Rikcy Ponting added.
This IPL season, Virat Kohli has primarily opened the batting for RCB. However, for the Indian national team, he usually bats at the number three position. With Rohit Sharma set to open, the potential inclusion of young left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal presents a selection dilemma.
Ricky Ponting acknowledged this, stating, “They (selectors) have still got a decision to make (on the opening pair) because (Yashasvi) Jaiswal is in that squad and one thing they haven’t got a lot in their team is left-hand batters. So they’ve got a decision to make with Jaiswal (batting position), but I’m pretty sure that they’ll go with Kohli and Rohit Sharma (as openers). He can play his role at the top. And if you’ve got the right guys around him scoring (like) Suryakumar (Yadav)… Rohit Sharma’s going to have a high strike rate. These other guys can go in there and play their way.”
Ricky Ponting also reflected on the changing dynamics of T20 cricket. He noted that while the focus used to be on top-order batsmen scoring big, the current trend emphasizes impactful, quick-fire innings.
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“The mantra I think for the teams three or four years ago was making sure that someone at the top of the order made 80 or 100, even if it took them 60 balls, it didn’t really matter,” Ricky Ponting explained. “I think it’s sort of shifting now to be more of a strike rate-based game where you can have a massive impact on a game with a 40 off 15 balls rather than getting an 80 off 55 balls sort of thing,” he concluded.
As Kohli continues to excel, his ability to adapt and deliver in crucial moments underscores why he remains indispensable for India in the shortest format of the game.
