Champions Trophy: Ricky Ponting Hails Virat Kohli As Best ODI Player

Ricky Ponting believes Virat Kohli is the best ODI player in the world and expects him to push to finish as the all-time leading run-scorer in 50-over cricket. (Full Coverage | More Cricket News)

Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 for India agai⭕nst Pakistan in the Champions Trophy on Sunday, helping them secure ⛄their progress to the semi-finals.

Those runs saw him breach the 14,000-run barriꦑer in ODIs (14,085) in what was his 287th innings in the format, the fastest any player has reached the landmark, as he took the record from fellow great Sachin Tendulkar, who required 350.

Kohli si🐠ts third in the highest run-scorers list, he is now just 149 from equalling second-placed KC Sangakkara, but 4,341 behind Tendulkar, who sits top of the pile on 18,426.

"With someone like Virat, you never write🍌 him off, because I'm sure he'd be motivated by that [achieving the record], I think," Ponting said on the ICC Review Podcast.

"Now that he's gone past me [fourth on 13,ܫ704] and [with] only two ahead of him, I'm sure he wants to give himself thไe best chance to be remembered as the all-time leading run scorer in the game.

"So, as lon💝g as the hunger's there, obviously, physically wise, he's probably as fit as he's ever been and works exceptionally hard on that side of his game. So, if the hunger's still there, then I'm never going to write him off.

"I know he's nice and close to Sangakkara now. I don't think it's going to be long, maybe the next game before he goes past Sangakkara. But still, a little way to go to catch Sachin.🦄"

Kohli has scored 51 tons for I🃏ndia in the one-day format, more than any other player, as well as 73 half-centuries, with his tally including 1,318 fours and 152 sixes.

His form has been under scrutiny recently, though, managing just 57🔯 runs across two innings in two ODIs against England before the Champions Trophy, while he was dismissed for just 22 in their🧜 opener at the tournament, against Bangladesh.

Ponting w♚as not surprised by Kohli's knock against Pakistan though, noting that he has proven himself on the big stage in the past.

"Congratul🦩ations to him [Kohli]," Ponting said. "He's obviously been a champion player for a long, long time.

"And particularly, probably in the white-ball fꦅormats, where he's been an unbelievably good 50-over player. In fact, I think I'm on record before saying I don't♒ think I've ever seen a better 50-over player than Virat Kohli.

"It's crazy when you think about it, isn't it? Just how good Virat's been o༒ver such a long period of time, yet he's still 4,000 runs behind Sachin. I mean, it just goes to show how good Sachin was, but also his longevity i♍n the game.

"How long Sachin played for and how long you're able to maintain such high levels for as an indiಌvidual player? And that's the♛ one thing I've always judged excellence on, is how long you can maintain it for.

"I've always said big games equal big names. You need your big names to stand up in those big moments. And there's no bigger game for India than a game against Pakistan. So, it's no ⛦surprise to me that that has ൲happened.

"It needed someone at the top of the order to play a match-winning innings like that. And once again, it wa𒁃s Kohli to get the job done."