I think he will – Ricky Ponting on Virat Kohli potentially equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI record

Run-machine Virat Kohli was off to a flying start in the 2023 World Cup with a sizzling 85 against Australia that got India back on track after an early wobble. During Virat Kohli’s marathon knock, he shattered Sachin Tendulkar’s twin records which saw him becoming the highest run scorer for India during their successful run-chases in the shorter formats of the game while also surpassing the Master Blaster for most runs in white-ball ICC tournaments.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes that Virat may actually surpass Sachin Tendulkar in another long-standing record, particularly considering the fact that the round-robin format of the tournament will give him ample opportunity to get to the landmark.

With 47 tons in ODIs to his name, Virat is just a couple of tons away from Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most centuries in the 50-over format (49). If Virat scores three centuries in this ongoing World Cup 2023, he will etch his name in the history books, adding another record to his glistening career.

Talking to the ICC Review Podcast, Ponting said, “I think he will. I think he'll definitely get two hundreds, whether he gets the three is another thing. But the venues, the wickets and the grounds in India are just so conducive to scoring, making big runs. Who knows with him, it's probably his last World Cup as well. If he gets that mindset, and we saw that he's in pretty good touch, and we know with him he's always hungry. He's a winner, he wants success for himself and for his team.”

Ponting added, “There is every chance at the end of this World Cup he could be equal with, if not breaking Sachin’s record, which is remarkable within itself.”