Veteran West Indian fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose has ranked rising Indian batsman Virat Kohli in the same league as Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar. Interestingly, as he is getting closer to breaking the record for the most international hundreds, Kohli is frequently compared to Tendulkar as the best hitter to have ever played for India.
Tendulkar’s record of 100 international centuries is only 20 hundreds ahead of Kohli, who now has 80 international centuries to his credit. The 35-year-old just achieved his 50th century against New Zealand in the ODI World Cup 2023 semi-final, shattering Tendulkar’s record of most ODI hundreds (49).
Curtly Ambrose declined to draw comparisons between the two great cricketers, Virat Kohli nearly shattering his hero record, on the grounds that players from different periods should not be compared. But he did say that Virat Kohli is a terrific player, on par with Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar, and that he would have dominated any age.
Virat Kohli Is In The Same League As Sachin & Ponting
Sir Curtly Ambrose speaking in an interview said that he can not compare Virat Kohli, Sachin & Ponting. He said :
“Virat Kohli, the great man, someone who I admire as well, I love watching him. Don’t ask me to compare them (Sachin and Virat). I think, I don’t think I know he’s a great player and how I judge players because people like to compare different eras. I don’t particularly like to do those things,” said Ambrose in an interview with Sports Tak
“But what I can say is when I look at great batsmen, how I judge them. Like presently Virat Kohli, he’s dominating today’s cricket, my question to myself is would he have done well during my era or before my era? I believe he would and because of that that’s why I give him great. Sachin Tendulkar is the same thing, Ricky Ponting and these guys are great players because they can dominate any era,” he added.
Virat, Ponting and Sachin are all from different generations and it is not right to compare them. All 3 batsmen faced different kind of bowlers on different kinds of wickets in totally different circumstances. Comparisons can be done when everyone stands on equal ground.
Virat Kohli Important For India’s Chances In The Knockouts
Virat Kohli’s form will be crucial for team India as the team progresses to the later stages of the marquee event.
In the meantime, Kohli hasn’t been playing well in the ongoing T20 World Cup. With a strike rate of 108.19 and an average of 13.20 in five innings, he has only scored 66 runs. Along with captain Rohit Sharma, the former captain of India is opening the innings in the current tournament, but they have not been able to score a lot of runs.
The ace batter, who scored just five runs in the tournament’s first three innings, is gradually regaining his form, though, as evidenced by his 24 and 37 run scores in the final two innings. India will be hoping that Kohli can finally recover his form as they play Australia in their final Super 8 match on Monday, June 24 at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia. The tournament is moving into the knockout rounds.
India have failed to win the ICC T20 World Cup since the inception of Indian Premier League in 2008. Rohit Sharma & Co. will look to change this and win it this time around in Barbados.