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Virat Kohli has had a tough year or so in international cricket. Before the start of the 2025 Champions Trophy, he averaged a mere 21.61 in international cricket since the start of 2024 with just one hundred and three fifties.
He got just 22 in the first game of the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh. His issues against spin continued as he was dismissed by leg-spin for the fifth time in his last six ODIs. There were question marks over his form and how he could overcome his spin frailties.
However, the former India skipper roared back into form with a splendid hundred against arch-rivals Pakistan. His unbeaten 100 helped India hunt down 242 which ensured India qualified for the semi-finals.
Ricky Ponting was all praise for Kohli. He believes that you need the big players to step up in the big games and Kohli did that for India against Pakistan.
“I’ve always said big games equal big names. You need your big names to stand up in those big moments, and no bigger game for India than a game against Pakistan. Your reputation is forged in what you do in the biggest contests on the international stage. So, it’s no surprise to me that that has happened,” Ricky Ponting was quoted saying to ICC.
Kohli has stepped up almost every time against Pakistan. He averages 59.84 in ODI cricket against Pakistan (778 runs) and has hit four centuries along with two fifties against them. In T20Is, he has got 492 runs while averaging 70.28 with five half-centuries in 11 games.
Back in the 2022 T20 World Cup, he smashed a jaw-dropping 82 not out while chasing 160 after India were reduced to 31/4 in the 7th over. Ponting cited that example as well while lauding Kohli’s latest heroics against Pakistan.
“Yeah, as you say, 2022 and now, he stood up against the team that he would probably steel himself the most to play against. And no bigger moment than last night when Pakistan had batted first on a tricky wicket. It needed someone at the top of the order to play a match-winning innings like that. And once again, it was Kohli to get the job done,” the former Australia captain added.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better 50-over player than Virat Kohli: Ponting
Kohli scaled the 14,000-run mark in ODI cricket and became only the third batter in international cricket to do so. He was the quickest to the mark as well (287 innings).
Moreover, the 36-year-old batter is now the third-highest run-getter in international cricket across formats. He went past Ricky Ponting’s tally of 27483 runs. Only Kumar Sangakkara (28016 runs) and Sachin Tendulkar (34357 runs) are ahead of the modern-day Indian great.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better 50-over player than Virat Kohli. Now that he’s gone past me and only two ahead of him, I’m sure he would want to give himself the best chance to be remembered as the all-time leading run scorer in the game. As long as the hunger’s there, obviously physical-wise, he’s probably as fit as he’s ever been and works exceptionally hard on that side of his game,” Ponting said.
Kohli has racked up 14085 runs at an average of 58.20 in the 50-over format and has 51 hundreds to go with 73 fifties.
