The legendary former West Indies fast bowler Curtly Ambrose feels that the current superstar of the batting in world cricket, Virat Kohli sits in the same bracket with two of the greatest batters this game has ever produced in Sachin Tendulkar from the same country and Australia’s Ricky Ponting.
When it comes to comparison, Kohli mostly gets compared with Tendulkar in many aspects, whether it’s in the number of centuries in the One-day Internationals, or in the Test format, or across all three formats, and so on. At the moment, the Delhi-batter has managed 80 international centuries while Sachin is ahead by 20.
During the last ODI World Cup in 2023, during the semifinal against New Zealand at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Kohli broke the record of Tendulkar’s 49 centuries, when he celebrated his 50th hundred of the format.
‘Don’t ask me to compare them’- Curtly Ambrose
The lanky fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose feels that with the different eras and the changes of rules and regulations in the game, players shouldn’t be compared at all.
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When it comes to Virat Kohli’s record, he has managed 8848 Test runs in 113 games at an average of close to 50, with 29 centuries and 30 fifties, with a best score of 254*. Tendulkar, however, is way ahead of him with 15921 runs in 200 Tests at an average of 53.78, including 51 hundreds with a best of 248*.
Ricky Ponting, on the other hand, has finished with 13378 Test runs in 168 games, at an average of 51.85, with 41 centuries and 62 half-centuries, with a best score of 257.
When it comes to the One-day internationals, Kohli is quite ahead among these three players. Ponting has notched up 13704 runs in 375 games, at an average of 42, with a strike rate of 80, including 30 centuries and 82 fifties, and a best score of 164. The former Mumbai batter has managed to get 18426 ODI runs in 463 games, at an average of 44.83 and a strike rate of 86.23, with 49 hundreds and 96 fifties, and a best score of 200*.
Virat Kohli has featured in 292 ODIs so far, where he has hoisted 13848 runs at an average of 58.67, which is quite marvelous, and a strike rate of 93.58, besides celebrating 50 hundreds and 72 fifties and a best score of 183, against Pakistan in 2012.
Curtly Ambrose feels that Virat Kohli would have dominated in any era which makes him a great player just like Tendulkar and Ponting.
‘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).’ The former Antiguan bowler, Curtly Ambrose expressed during a recent interview with ‘Sports Tak’. ‘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.’
When it comes to the list of highest run scores in International cricket, Kohli stands at number four with 26799 runs in 527 games, at an average of 53.70, with 8 0 hundreds. Ponting sits over him at three with 27483 runs in 560 games with 71 centuries at an average of 45.95. Tendulkar is at the top, having managed 34357 runs in 664 innings, with 100 centuries.
Curtly Ambrose reckons that Virat would have shown the same brilliance even in his era, against him, and that makes him the greatest before his eyes.
‘But what I can say is when I look at great batsmen, how I judge them. Like presently Virat Kohli, is dominating today’s cricket, my question to myself is would he have done well during my era or before my era?’ The 60-year-old Curtly Ambrose reflected in the same interview. ‘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.’