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“You never write him off”: Ricky Ponting on Virat Kohli chasing Sachin Tendulkar’s record

Published

1 year ago

March 2, 2025

Virat Kohli (Photo: ANI) © Provided by Asian News International (ANI)

Dubai [UAE], March 2 (ANI): Virat Kohli‘s remarkable career continues to scale new heights as he approaches his 300th ODI, and with it, another significant milestone. His unbeaten century against Pakistan in Dubai not only reinforced his dominance but also propelled him to No. 5 in the ICC ODI rankings. More significantly, it made him just the third player in history to cross 14,000 runs in ODIs.

Kohli has already surpassed Ricky Ponting in the all-time ODI run charts and now stands just 149 runs away from overtaking Kumar Sangakkara(14,234 runs) for the second spot. However, the ultimate peak–Sachin Tendulkar‘s 18,426 runs–remains a daunting challenge. Kohli is still 4,341 runs behind the Indian legend, raising the question: can he surpass the Master Blaster?

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who himself once held the second position on the all-time run list, weighed in on Kohli’s pursuit of greatness.

“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 4000 runs behind Sachin. I mean, it just goes to show how good Sachin was, but also his longevity in the game, how long Sachin played for and how long you’re able to maintain such high levels for as an individual player,” Ponting said in a video posted by ICC on Instagram.

Tendulkar’s longevity remains unparalleled. The batting maestro played 463 ODIs and 200 Test matches in a career that spanned over two decades. Kohli, on the other hand, is still going strong, known for his exceptional fitness and hunger for runs. Ponting believes those qualities could push him closer to Tendulkar’s record.

“And that’s the one thing I’ve always judged excellence on, is how long you can maintain it for. And you know, Sachin, 200 test matches and God knows how many won days, must have been over 500 won days, I’d imagine. Incredible longevity, incredible career,” he added.

“With someone like Virat, you never write him off because I’m sure he’d be motivated by that. I think, now that he’s gone past me, I’m sure he wants to give himself the best chance to be remembered as the all-time leading run scorer in the game. So as long as the hunger’s there, you know, obviously, physical-wise, he’s probably as fit as he’s ever been and works exceptionally hard on that side of his game,” Ponting said.

“So if the hunger’s still there, then there’s, you know, I’m never going to write him off,” he noted.

At 36, Kohli still has a few years left in his career. Given his consistency and fitness, surpassing Sangakkara is almost inevitable. However, catching up to Tendulkar will require sustained brilliance over the next few years something only a select few have managed in cricket’s history. (ANI)

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Chelsea mathematically out of title race after 3-0 defeat to Everton

Published

4 days ago

March 21, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Chelsea are now mathematically out of the Premier League title race.

This follows their 3-0 drubbing in the hands of Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday night.

Liam Rosenior’s men came into the match with 48 points, looking to keep pace with the teams in front of them.

However, Beto opened the scoring for the hosts in the first half, before adding a second after the break.

Chelsea barely threatened Everton and looked flat for most of the game, before Iliman Ndiaye added a third.

The result means the Blues cannot match the 70 points that league leaders Arsenal currently have with seven matches left.

Champions Liverpool are also on the verge of being mathematically ruled out, as they have 49 points.

SportsNews

Super Eagles player bounced me from Iheanacho’s room — Osimhen

Published

5 days ago

March 21, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen, has claimed that a senior member of the Super Eagles squad in 2017 sent him away from a hotel room during his first call-up to the national team.

According to the 27-year-old, it was Kelechi Iheanacho who intervened and welcomed him inside.

Osimhen revealed this while appearing on a Twitch livestream with comedian, Carter Efe in the early hours of Saturday.

He said: “When I came, I met Iheanacho. And I told him, ‘ah, see me, I’m gonna carry your boots.’ So he said I should come to his room so, he gave me his room number.

“So, as I got to his room — I don’t just want to mention the name — he had a roommate. So, as I knocked on the door, the roommate opened the door. So, he like bounced me out of the room.”

Osimhen refused to reveal the identity of the player who sent him away.

SportsNews

AFCON 2025; Drama as Senegal Reportedly Relocates Trophy To Military Base After CAF Decision (Video)

Published

6 days ago

March 20, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Drama as Senegal reportedly relocates AFCON trophy to military base after Confederation of African Football (CAF) viral decision.

‎It would be recalled that CAF stripped Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, awarding it to Morocco instead.

This decision came after Morocco appealed the result of the January 18 final, where Senegal won 1-0 in extra time.

‎ According to the CAF Appeal Board, Senegal had forfeited the match due to their players walking off the pitch in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco, citing Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations.

The controversy surrounds the AFCON final, where Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest of a late penalty awarded to Morocco.

In a clip circulating on the microblogging platform, X (formerly Twitter), a young man with glasses is seen holding the AFCON trophy surrounded by military personnel.

The clip captures the military personnel’s excitement as they support the trophy, with an officer recording the moment.

In a recent development, Senegal has announced plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with some officials and players expressing outrage and disappointment.