New Delhi: Australia great Ricky Ponting has backed India sensation Virat Kohli to claim former teammate Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most centuries in ODIs during the current ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Kohli has already amassed 47 hundreds in 282 one-day internationals to be two short of Tendulkar’s long-standing record.
The India great set the benchmark of 49 tons across 463 ODIs while also compiling the most runs in the 50-over format with 18,426.
Kohli looked set to move within one century of Tendulkar’s record while steering India toward a six-wicket victory over Australia until being dismissed for 85.
But with at least eight more ODIs to come for India at the World Cup 2023, Ponting has backed Kohli to reach the record during the tournament on home soil, an ICC report said.
“I think he will. I think he'll definitely get two hundreds, whether he gets the three is another thing, ” Australia legend Ponting said on the latest episode of The ICC Review podcast.
“But the venues, the wickets and the grounds in India are just so conducive to scoring, making big runs," he said.
“Who knows with him, it's probably his last World Cup as well," Ponting sai.
“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 said.
“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,” he said.
The right-hander has scored two hundreds at previous Cricket World Cups including 100 in his tournament debut when facing Bangladesh in 2011.
Kohli scored his first ODI ton with 107 against Sri Lanka in December 2009, and most recently reached three figures in the format with 122 not out against Pakistan last month.
The 34-year-old has overcome a lean patch without an ODI century between August 2019 and December 2022 to add four hundreds in 15 innings since then.
“Forty-nine one-day international hundreds is amazing. But he deserves that, he works hard,” Ponting said.
“You watch him even in the field, game one, he just looks ultra fit, is up for the contest every ball whether it's in the field or with these batting hands. So I'd never write him off,” Ponting said.
Kohli has already passed Tendulkar for the most runs in successful pursuits in ODIs during this Cricket World Cup after reaching 5,517 runs in the win over Australia.
The chase master has clubbed 26 of his 47 ODI centuries while batting in the second innings, with 22 of those hundreds helping to propel India to victory.
Ponting was adamant that Kohli is the first batter he would choose to chase down a target in the second innings of an ODI.
“His record speaks for itself, when you get hundreds chasing, most of those in winning causes,” Ponting said.
“He'd be my first pick by the length of the straight,” Ponting added. (UNI)