In the 2012 Asia Cup, Virat Kohli played a historic knock of 183 runs against Pakistan in Mirpur, guiding India to a successful chase of 330 runs. Later that year, he remained unbeaten on 133 off 86 balls against Sri Lanka in Hobart, helping India chase down 321 in just 36.4 overs. These performances earned him the title of ‘Chase Master,’ a reputation he continues to uphold even in the later stages of his career.
Last Sunday in Dubai, Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 against Pakistan, securing India’s place in the Champions Trophy semifinals. It was his 51st ODI century, and India won the match with ease. The only real suspense was whether Kohli would reach his hundred. With India needing two runs to win and Kohli four runs away from his century, he reached the landmark with a boundary, showcasing his brilliance once again.
Many consider this century one of Kohli’s finest, as he hit only seven boundaries in the entire innings. This meant just 28 of his 100 runs came from boundaries, while the remaining 72 were accumulated through quick running between the wickets—46 singles and 13 doubles. Despite this, he maintained a strike rate of over 90, proving his incredible fitness and game awareness even at this stage of his career.
Former England captain Michael Atherton believes no one is better than Kohli when it comes to chasing in ODIs. His fellow Englishman, Nasser Hussain, and Australian legend Ricky Ponting go even further, calling Kohli the greatest ODI player of all time.
Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Atherton said: “To be honest, there is no one better than Virat Kohli when it comes to chasing in 50-over cricket. Scoring 51 centuries is an unbelievable achievement.”
Against Pakistan, Kohli also became the fastest player to reach 14,000 ODI runs. Atherton acknowledged this milestone, adding: “He has surpassed 14,000 runs, a mark previously reached only by Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara. But he did it in 60 (actually 63) fewer innings than Sachin and 90 (actually 91) fewer innings than Kumar. That’s why I believe he is the best in ODIs.”
Nasser Hussain echoed this sentiment, saying: “He is an unbelievable player. Just look at the stats, and you have to admit that he is the greatest ODI player ever. Of course, names like Tendulkar, Sangakkara, and AB de Villiers come to mind—they were all exceptional—but Kohli stands above them all.”
Speaking to ICC Review, Ricky Ponting added: “I don’t think I’ve seen a better player than Virat Kohli in 50-over cricket. He has already surpassed me in the list of highest ODI run-scorers, and now only two batsmen stand ahead of him. I am sure he will do everything possible to finish as the leading run-scorer in ODI history.”
The statistics back the claims of Atherton, Hussain, and Ponting. Kohli not only holds the record for most centuries in ODIs, but he also has the most centuries (28) while chasing. In comparison, Tendulkar managed 17, while Kohli’s teammate Rohit Sharma has 16.
Out of Kohli’s 28 centuries in successful chases, India has won 24 times, and he remained unbeaten in 14 of those matches. In contrast, Tendulkar’s 14 centuries in successful chases led to 14 Indian victories, while Rohit’s 13 centuries in such matches resulted in 13 wins.
With numbers like these, it’s no surprise that cricketing legends consider Virat Kohli the greatest ODI player of all time.
