Sunil Gavaskar is usually careful with his praise, especially when talking about cricket legends. But Virat Kohli’s 52nd ODI century in Ranchi made even Gavaskar speak strongly about Kohli’s place in cricket history.
Published: December 1, 2025 8:00 AM IST
Sunil Gavaskar is usually careful with his praise, especially when talking about cricket legends. But Virat Kohli’s 52nd ODI century in Ranchi made even Gavaskar speak strongly about Kohli’s place in cricket history. In his view, Kohli has achieved a level in one-day cricket that very few players have ever reached and maybe no one has gone beyond it.
Talking about Virat Kohli’s latest achievement, Gavaskar said almost everyone who has played with him agrees on his greatness. “It’s not just me. Those who have played with him and against him all agree that he is the greatest in the one-day format,” he said this on JioHotstar during the mid-innings break, showing not only respect but also agreement from many years of seeing Kohli face one challenge after another.
The key fact supporting this view is clear: 52 ODI centuries. Gavaskar said this puts Kohli “right up there in the stratosphere,” at a level only a few players have reached. Kohli’s steady performance, long career, and skill to perform in tough situations have all helped him become a player admired across different times and conditions.
Supporting his view, Gavaskar mentioned another tough critic in cricket: Ricky Ponting. The former Australian captain, famous for high standards and rarely praising players, recently said Kohli is the best ODI player he has ever watched. “It is rare, very rare to get praise from an Australian,” Gavaskar noted. “So if an Australian says he’s the best, then there’s no argument.” Hearing this from Ponting is not just ordinary praise; it is recognition earned through deep respect on the field.
The talk about Sachin Tendulkar was natural, and Gavaskar spoke about it directly. Tendulkar’s 51 ODI centuries once seemed unbeatable, but Kohli has now surpassed that record. “Sachin has been right up there with 51 hundreds, but when you pass the great Sachin Tendulkar, then you know where you stand,” Gavaskar said. “It’s almost lonely at the top at the moment.”
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