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If Virat Kohli has a good World Cup, India will win: Ricky Ponting

Two-time world cup winning Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes India could lift the coveted trophy in 2019 if their charismatic captain Virat Kohli has a good tournament.

If Virat Kohli has a good World Cup, India will win: Ricky Ponting

New Delhi, March 18: Two-time world cup winning Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes India could lift the coveted trophy in 2019 if their charismatic captain Virat Kohli has a good tournament.

30-year-old Kohli, who is ranked No. 1 in ODIs, has been in a phenomenal form in the limited-overs format lately and has been the backbone of the Indian batting order.

In an interview with Times of India, Ponting said, "Virat's ODI record ... is unbelievable. That's why I feel India are a very dangerous side. If Virat has a good World Cup, India will win.

"His numbers show that he is the best. How old is he? Maybe 30, and he is going to play another 200 games. I don't think there will be many people who are going to argue against him being the best," the Australia batting legend added further.

Ponting, who will take up the role of a consultant for Australian cricket team at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, also believes that return of Steve Smith and David Warner would be a major shot in the arm for the defending champions but at the same time the duo will have to earn their places back in the side.

Australia's sensational come-from-behind series win over India has boosted the morale of the young Aussie team. The batting exploits of the likes of Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb and Ashton Turner has put them in the World Cup reckoning.

Warner and Smith, who complete their respective 12-month suspensions on March 29, are the undisputed best batsmen in the team. But with others doing well in their absence, the two will have to make their way back into the team on the weight of runs and not mere reputation.

"They still have to prove they are the best players, especially on the back of what has happened in the recent ODIs against India," Ponting said in an interview with the Times of India. "Those guys have not played any high-level cricket for a long time. IPL becomes really important for them."

Ponting said there was plenty of depth in the Australian side, and that after the triumph against India, the team should be considered as serious contenders for the World Cup.

"If it's Warner, Smith, Khawaja, (Aaron) Finch, (Glenn) Maxwell, Turner, (Adam) Zampa, (Mitchell) Starc, (Pat) Cummins and (Josh) Hazlewood ... it ends up being a pretty amazing line-up as well, with Nathan Lyon as the second spinner," said Ponting.

"There's great depth there. Two weeks ago, not many would have been talking about Australia as Cup contenders. Now, all of a sudden, they're right back in the calculations."

Story first published: Monday, March 18, 2019, 11:50 [IST]
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