Renowned for his keen cricketing insight, Ricky Ponting has praised Virat Kohli as the embodiment of the big-game player. In a recent message to the International Cricket Council (ICC), Ponting emphasized Kohli’s indispensable nature and voiced his amusement at the ongoing dispute.
Few discussions in the cricket world are as enduring as the one about Virat Kohli’s selection for India’s T20 International team. Even with his impressive resume, there are still doubts regarding whether he is a good fit for the fast-paced format. But such fears are unjustified, according to Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting.
In my opinion, Kohli is my top choice for India. Dispelling any rumors of Kohli’s deterioration in T20 cricket, Ponting told the ICC that “class and experience like that, you can’t replace.” “With Virat, it’s humorous. I believe that individuals in India are simply continually looking for an excuse to pass on him or to argue that he isn’t as talented as some of these other players in the Twenty20 format.”
Kohli’s current IPL 2024 assignment with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) enhances his already formidable skill set. With an incredible 708 runs scored in just 14 innings, Kohli is the tournament’s top run scorer and his dominance is evident. Even though his strike rate has drawn criticism, Kohli’s versatility is evident as he records his highest IPL strike rate of 155.60.
Ponting cited Kohli’s game-winning 82 against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup while discussing the player’s essential role in important matches. The fact that Kohli can perform well under duress highlights his importance to the Indian team, especially in close games.
“I recall having this conversation and a few more that I had with the ICC regarding the rumors that Virat wasn’t on their team last year, but when the big games rolled around, he was among the players who performed well,” Ponting remarked.
Although Kohli has primarily batted for India at number three, Ponting foresaw that he may go to open with Rohit Sharma. The rise of youthful talent such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, however, poses a dilemma for the selectors. Though high strike rates are preferred over long innings in the changing T20 scene, Ponting feels that Kohli’s versatility and experience make him a valuable asset.
“They (selectors) still need to decide on the opening pair because (Yashasvi) Jaiswal is in that group, and left-hand hitters are something they don’t have a lot of on their team,” Ponting stated.
They must decide whether to bat Jaiswal at number one, but I’m fairly certain they’ll start Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. At the top, he can fulfill his function. And with the right players surrounding him, such as Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma will be able to score runs at a rapid rate. “These other guys can enter and play by their rules,” he continued.
“It didn’t really matter if it took them 60 balls to make an 80 or 100, that was, I believe, the mantra for the teams three or four years ago,” Ricky Ponting remarked.
In place of earning an 80 off 55 balls, he continued, “I think it’s sort of shifting now to be more of a strike rate based game where you can have a massive impact on a game with a 40 off 15 balls.”
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When teams adjust their tactics to meet the changing needs of Twenty20 cricket, Kohli’s skill is unchanging. The controversy regarding Kohli’s T20 credentials may now be resolved thanks to Ponting’s strong support.
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