Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has praised Virat Kohli as the "absolute best" batter in the world, citing his extraordinary overall record. Kohli recently equaled Sachin Tendulkar's 49 ODI centuries with a brilliant unbeaten 101 against South Africa in a World Cup match. This century solidified Kohli's status as one of the greatest players of the modern era. Ponting stated that Kohli's overall batting record is incredible, and his 49th ODI century came in 175 innings less than Tendulkar.