"If You Would Have Asked Three Years Ago...": Ricky Ponting On Whether Virat Kohli Can Surpass Sachin Tendulkar's 100-Ton Tally

20.09.2022 - 06:33 sports.ndtv.com

Surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's feat of 100 international centuries is "possible" for Virat Kohli, Australian great Ricky Ponting has said looking at the Indian superstar's new-found hunger for runs.

Kohli recently ended a wait of 1,020 days for his 71st international hundred when he smashed 122 not out off 61 balls against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup earlier this month. "If you would have asked me three years ago, I'd have said yes.

But the fact that it has slowed down as much as it did... yeah, I still think that it is possible for him, there's no doubt," Ponting said on The ICC Review. "Look, I'll never say never with Virat, because you know once he gets on a bit of a roll, you know how hungry he is and how keen for success he is.

I'll never say never that's for sure," the two-time Aussie World Cup winning skipper said. In the course of his century, Kohli equalled Ponting's feat of 71 tons.

cricket India Cricket Team on Ricky Ponting Virat Kohli Sachin Tendulkar Australia India Afghanistan

Virat Kohli is one of the most prolific run-scorers and has broken several records in a glittering career so far. With 71 international centuries, he is tied with Ricky Ponting and only the legendary Sachin Tendulkar has more. However, he has always maintained that he does not care much for individual milestones and is more interested in doing what is best for the team. And he put that selflessness on display when he gave up an opportunity to score a half-century against South Africa in the second T20I so India could maximise their score.

Virat Kohli Achieves Rare Feat In White-Ball Cricket After Win Over Australia

Team India defeated Australia by six wickets in the third and final T20I match of the three-match series on Sunday, at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. Put to bat first, Australia posted a target of 187, with Tim David and Cameron Green scoring 54 and 52 respectively. Later, Team India chased down the target with a ball to spare with the help of a fiery partnership between Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. Kohli and Suryakumar smashed 63 and 69, respectively, as Team India claimed a six-wicket victory. The knock made kohli the second batter to complete 16,000 runs in white-ball international cricket.

"In Men's Sport...": Ricky Ponting Hails Virat Kohli For Dedicating 71st Ton To Wife Anushka Sharma

Team India failed to qualify for the final of the Asia Cup 2022, due to a below-par performance in the Super 12 stage. Despite the failure, the Rohit Sharma-led side and the cricket fans got a moment to cherish for their lifetime and that was star batter Virat Kohli's much-awaited 71st century. This milestone was achieved during the Super 12 clash against Afghanistan, where he smashed an unbeaten 122 off just 61 balls. Before this, he had last hit a century in November 2019. Following his knock, Virat had taken a moment to appreciate his wife, actress Anushka Sharma and his daughter for being his pillars in tough times.

Watch: Fan Gifts Virat Kohli A Painting During Training Session In Mohali

In a heartwarming gesture, a fan gifted Virat Kohli a handmade painting of the player in Mohali. The brief moment of joy for the fan came when Kohli and other players of the Indian team were entering the ground of the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium for their practice session ahead of the first T20I match against Australia. While gifting her art work to Kohli, the fan also got herself photographed with the player. The Punjab Cricket Association later shared the video of the heart-touching moment on social media.

Virat Kohli 207 Runs Away From Surpassing Rahul Dravid To Achieve Big India Record

Star India batter Virat Kohli, who ended his two-and-a-half-year century drought in the Asia Cup 2022, had a memorable run in the entire tournament. Kohli ended his campaign with a total of 276 runs to his name, the second highest in the tournament. Kohli is now eyeing a good performance against Australia in the home series and yet another milestone in his career. He is just 207 runs away from surpassing India head coach Rahul Dravid to become the second highest run-getter across all formats for India. When achieves the mark he will also become the sixth-highest run-scorer in international cricket.

Never say never with Virat Kohli, can go past Sachin Tendulkar: Ricky Ponting

Sachin Tendulkar's feat of 100 international centuries is "possible" for Virat Kohli, Australian great Ricky Ponting has said looking at the Indian superstar's new-found hunger for runs. Kohli recently ended a wait of 1,020 days for his 71st international hundred when he smashed 122 not out off 61 balls against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup earlier this month. "Look, I'll never say never with Virat, because you know once he gets on a bit of a roll, you know how hungry he is and how keen for success he is. I'll never say never that's for sure," the two-time Aussie World Cup winning skipper said.