Will Virat Kohli overtake Sachin Tendulkar's ODI runs tally? Ricky Ponting reacts

Ricky Ponting has said that he will not write off Virat Kohli when it comes to overtaking Sachin Tendulkar's ODI runs tally. Kohli scored his 51st ODI hundred against Pakistan in Dubai on February 23.

In Short

• Kohli came back into form during the Champions Trophy
• Kohli has 14,085 runs to his name in ODIs, 4,341 behind Tendulkar
• Ponting said Kohli is the best 50-over player ever

Ricky Ponting has claimed that he isn't writing off Virat Kohli from breaking Sachin Tendulkar's ODI runs tally after his fine performance against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025. Kohli scored his 51st ODI hundred as India defeated Pakistan by 6 wickets to make it to the semi-finals.

Kohli has 14,085 runs to his name in ODIs, which is 4,341 runs behind Tendulkar's all-time tally of 18,426. Speaking on ICC Review, Ponting said that if Kohli still has the hunger to perform then he can certainly break Tendulkar's record.

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“It just goes to show how good Sachin was, but also his longevity in the game. But with someone like Virat, you never write him off. If the hunger’s still there, then I’m never going to write him off (to overtake Tendulkar)," said Ponting.

'Don't think ever seen a better 50-over player than Virat Kohli'

Ponting went on to praise Kohli for his performance against Pakistan and claimed that the Indian star is the best 50-over player he has ever seen. Kohli went past Ponting in the all-time run-makers list and the former Aussie captain feels that Kohli will try to give himself the best chance to be remembered as the leading run-scorer in the game.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better 50-over player than Virat Kohli," Ponting told ICC Review. Now that he’s gone past me (in run-maker’s list) and only two (batters) 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."

“Obviously physical-wise, he’s probably as fit as he’s ever been and works exceptionally hard on that side of his game. It’s crazy when you think about it, isn’t it? Just how good Virat’s been over such a long period of time, yet he’s still 4,000 runs behind Sachin," he added.

Kohli will have a chance to add to his run tally in the Champions Trophy as India face New Zealand on March 2. India and New Zealand have made it to the semis.