If cricket were a chess game, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Ricky Ponting would be the Grandmasters. With their smart thinking, quick decisions, and great skills, they would always be one step forward.

5. Virat Kohli – The Aggressive Player

Virat Kohli is a very Aggressive Player always focused and ready to face any situation in the game. He is known for putting pressure on the opposition and taking very aggressive steps according to the situation. His bold style makes him a challenging player, how quickly he thinks and makes decisions in the game. Kohli plays the game with so much passion, but his aggressive and clever thinking helps him take to control when it matters. He's always planning his next move and plans about what he can do in the field like chess players who can understand the next step of opponents.

4.AB de Villiers – The  Genius player

AB de Villiers(360 players) was a magician with the bat, he played all along the ground. His shots show that no one else can play that shot or even imagine, always keeping bowlers on edge. His ability to adapt to any situation and take new ideas made him unpredictable and hard to know what shot he could play in the game. De Villiers was a master of reading the ball and game and everyone knows with his creativity he played all over the ground and had unbelievable shots. Like a chess player who can't think about his clever moves, AB de Villiers is a very Genius player.

3. Ricky Ponting – The Bold tactical player

Ricky Ponting was never afraid to take risks in the game like a Bold tactical player, and that’s why he made him such a smart player, other teams were afraid of him for making very bold decisions. His decisions are quick bowling changes and aggressive field setting to confuse the other teams. His batting approach was always aggressive, he knew when to play hard and when to pull back according to the situation. Ponting’s Captaincy and his ability to make bold decisions made him one of the best captains ever. His boldness and strategy made him a  Bold tactical player on the field.

2. MS Dhoni – The Calm Strategic Player

Former Indian Team Captain MS Dhoni is known for staying cool and calm in the toughest situations. His ability to read the game and make smart decisions under pressure. His clever field settings and strategy make him confident in making strategic decisions. As a captain, his strategic mind and his cool nature helped India to win so many times, Other teams were confused about what just happened. His calmness and Strategic mind made him a true master of the game.

1. Sachin Tendulkar – The Master Planner

Sachin Tendulkar, the master blaster for India, is the perfect example of a player who always thinks according to the game like a Master Planner. He didn’t just play the game; he understood it deeply, and then according to that he approached. Whether he was building an innings or attacking bowlers, Sachin always had a plan about what he was doing every time. His ability to read the ball and focused mind allowed him to think about the game. His intelligence and patience made him a true legend, He is always planning ahead of his opponents.

Once again, Virat Kohli demonstrates why he is one of the best players of all time in the game. India's batting icon Virat Kohli has now crossed the milestone of 16,000 international runs across all formats, becoming the fourth player in history to hit this super-tall target.

Fastest 16000 runs 
Kohli achieved this in just 340 innings, thus becoming the fastest batsman to this milestone. He has now overtaken Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara, who holds the record for achieving this feat in 410 innings. The achievement perfectly encapsulates Kohli, his consistency, and true raw skill & domination in the international game year after year.

The all-time 16000+ International Runs classified players
Before Kohli, there were only 3 other batsmen who had managed 16000+ runs in International Cricket. They are:
Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Ricky Ponting (Australia)
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
This brings Kohli as the best batsman that ever played in cricket, hence further establishing him as one of them.

Virat Kohli becomes the fastest to reach 16,000 runs in Asia. 🐐🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/03E66o5dFD

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 12, 2025

Kohli's Contribution to International Cricket
Kohli Started his career in 2008, and India's batting has been incomplete without him since those days. His ability to so with ease track endless strike rates, and anchor innings against pressure separates him. He has still broken so many records and defined the standards for the next generation over the ropes.

ALSO READ: PAK vs SA Tri series Live Streaming&: Where & How to Watch the Match Online & on TV

Kohli is also a great captain, and this does not mean his batting only but apart from this. He has been instrumental in leading India to some unforgettable wins and helped lay down a solid foundation of cricket culture in this country..

ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, is going to start on February 19 and it's going to be in Pakistan. Ricky Ponting, who is a really good cricket player who has won the World Cup two times, thinks that India and Australia are going to be the last two teams to play for the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 . Ponting was speaking on the ICC Review and he said that.

Ponting also said that England and South Africa are going to probably make it to the semifinals because they have good players and play really well. Be that as it might, there's also another cricket expert, Ravi Shastri, who used to teach the India team how to play well, and he thinks Ricky Ponting is right.

Ricky Ponting Predicts Champions Trophy Finalists, Highlights 'Unpredictable' Pakistan

Ricky Ponting was speaking to Sanjana Ganesan on the ICC show. Ponting told everyone that when the major games happen, such as the World Cup, India and Australia are usually the teams to watch. These two teams are really good because they have very talented athletes, and they've been doing very good for a long time.

India grasped the trophy in 2002 and then again in 2013. Australia won the same trophy in 2006 and then three years later in 2009. In 2023, there were a strikingly large number of matches between India and Australia. They played in the World Test Championship and the World Cup. Both times Australia won. Ricky Ponting thinks it's hard to pick anyone but India or Australia as the best teams because they do really well in important matches. It's clearly their skills are laid bare for those who watch them play.

Ricky Ponting predicted India and Australia as the two finalists of the upcoming mega event, ICC Men's #ChampionsTrophy2025 pic.twitter.com/T78I2InGFj

— The Gorilla (News & Updates) (@iGorilla19) February 2, 2025

Pakistan: The Unpredictable Contender

Ricky Ponting thinks that India and Australia are probably going to be in the final game, but he says Pakistan could be top rate too, because they're playing the game at their home, and that might help them a lot. Ponting said that Pakistan's team has been playing well when it comes to one day games. Even though Pakistan sometimes surprises us in major competitions, it looks as though they're getting better.

The Captain for Pakistan is Mohammad Rizwan, and they've been winning games against strong teams such as Australia and South Africa. They're getting ready for a wonderful year in 2025. Pakistan is also hoping to do what they did in 2017 at the Champions Trophy. That year, they beat India, which was the shining main part of the tournament, with Fakhar Zaman scoring many runs and their bowlers playing very hard.

ALSO READ: Respect His Journey: Rayudu Backs Kohli Amid Form Concerns

Tournament Schedule and Format

The major Champions Trophy for cricket is starting on February 19th . The first game is in Karachi, and Pakistan the team that lives there will play against New Zealand. The entire thing will finish with the last match on March 9th. Everyone who likes cricket is excited up and eager to watch all the amazing teams.

I bet there'll be a large amount of surprises, because you never know what can happen in these strikingly large games, Some people are wondering if Ponting correctly figured out who is going to win. Or maybe a team that's not supposed to win could win against everybody and become the best. We'll just have to wait and see all the really wonderful things that happen with the games in Pakistan.

ICC Champions Trophy: Top 5 Most Winning Captains in the History 
The ICC Champions Trophy is one of the most important tournaments in International cricket . For many years, a number of great captains have come and gone, each leading their team to numerous wins with exemplary leadership, tactical acumen and resilience. This is a comprehensive look at top 5 ICC Champions trophy, lifted by most winning captains. 

1.Ricky Pointing(12 Wins)

Rickey Pointing one  of the most successful captains of cricket history and his legacy in the ICC Champions Trophy He is the one and only captain with the most wins in the Champions (12 Wins) For 16 matches he only suffered 3 and one match is no result. He has the tactical captaincy he is the only one who dominates the champians trophy he also has a back-to-back winning streak in 2006 and 2009. 

Major Key Achievements 

• Champians in 2006 and 2009
• 12 wins in 16 matches
• One of the highest win percentage captain

2.Brian Lara(11 Wins):

In ICC Champions Trophy, Brian Lara who was one of the greatest batsmen in history also turned out to be a feared leader. Lara made 15/4 for West Indies, winning 11, just losing only 4.
He had his biggest success in 2004 when West Indies managed to lift their one and onlyICC Champions Trophy. With Lara  West Indies are incredible in a final last over magic at The Oval as they chase a heavy total. This was one of Lara's last great ICC tournaments wins for West Indies, which made him a true inspiration.

Major Key Achievements:

• Champions in 2004
• 11 wins in 15 matches

3.Stephen Fleminig(8Wins):

New Zealand's first big ICC win Stephen Fleming was a born ICC leader for New Zealand that took them to their first-ever ICC title in the 2000 Champions Trophy. He captained New Zealand 13 Matches, winning 8 and losing 5 in all.

India was defenseless when they faced New Zealand in 2000 (final), as they chased down a tough target in a beautiful game. Fleming was a cool and collected captain, who helped New Zealand to reach where they were. 

Major Key Achievements:

• First champian ship in 2000
• 13 matches 8 wins
• Firsr captain to win the trophy

ALSO READ:Is Ishan Kishan really sidelined from Indian team questions former cricketer

4.Sourav Ganguly(7Wins)

Sourav Ganguly the aggressive fearless captaincy (11 Champions Trophy matches won 7, Lost 2 came no-results and led India) Ganguly was the key lead in the 2002 joint success of Indian team at Champions Trophy India vs sri lanka were co-champions as final went wrong due to rain. Also made it to the final in 2000 but this time they lost to New Zealand.Ganguly steered India for years ahead as he groomed many young players and instilled the no-compromise for  future Indian Champions in ICC events.

Major Key Achievements :

• Join winners in 2002 
• Finalists in 2000
• 11 matches 7 wins 

5.MS.Dhoni(6 Wins)

MS Dhoni is one of the greatest captains cricket has ever seen, and he led India to their second ICC Champions Trophy title in 2013. India went undefeated throughout the tournament, winning all their matches under his leadership.Dhoni captained India in 8 Champions Trophy matches, with 6 wins, 1 loss, and 1 no result. He was very composed and calm under pressure, which made all the difference for India.
This victory made Dhoni the first captain to win all three major ICC white-ball tournaments-the T20 World Cup (2007), Cricket World Cup (2011), and Champions Trophy (2013).

Major key Achievements:

• Champians in 2013
• 8 matche 6 wins
• Only captain to wins trophies in all formats

Everyone's talking about how Yashasvi Jaiswal got out in the fourth test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) . It happened in the 71st over, when Pat Cummins, the captain of the Australian team, was bowling to the Indian opener.Jaiswal, who was batting fluently on 84, attempted a pull shot off a short delivery from Cummins. The Australian fielders immediately appealed for a catch behind, but the on-field umpire ruled Jaiswal not out. Dissatisfied, Cummins opted for a review.

The Controversial Decision

The third umpire reviewed the footage to make a difficult decision they didn't see any clear evidence from the snickometer, which is supposed to detect if the ball hits the bat. However, slowing the playback showed the ball's path possibly moved slightly near Jaiswal's gloves. With this clue, the original decision got flipped, and Jaiswal was ruled out for hitting the ball behind him.

Lot of fans and experts were really not feeling the decision because they thought visual proof shouldn't be trusted more than Snickometer data. Social media was filled with assorted arguments, making the cricket fans split on whether the call was right or not.

🗣 "Yeh optical illusion hai."#SunilGavaskar questions the 3rd umpire's decision to overlook the Snicko technology. OUT or NOT OUT - what’s your take on #Jaiswal’s dismissal? 👀#AUSvINDOnStar 👉 5th Test, Day 1 | FRI, 3rd JAN, 4:30 AM | #ToughestRivalry #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/vnAEZN9SPw

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 30, 2024

Reactions:

BCCI's Stand

Yashasvi Jaiswal was surely safe, Rajeev Shukla, the BCCI Vice-President, said. Shukla was very upset regarding the call and mentioned, the third umpire should have checked the technology better, the Snickometer didn't even show a spike. In the end, the BCCI asked for a review on how decisions are made in situations like this.

Yashaswi jayaswal was clearly not out. Third umpire should have taken note of what technology was suggesting. While over ruling field umpire third umpire should have solid reasons . @BCCI @ICC @ybj_19

— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) December 30, 2024

Former Players' Opinions

Sunil Gavaskar, a famous cricket player from India, didn't think it was a good call. Gavaskar said that if technology can't really prove there's an edge, the batter should be given a fair chance. Separately , Ricky Ponting, a major name in Australian cricket, agreed with the choice made. Ponting said it was obvious there was a deflection and the third umpire had all he needed to change the original decision.

🗣️ "If the evidence of the technology is not to be taken, why have it at all? That is something that would definitely be the query as far as the Indians are concerned."

- Sunil Gavaskar on the Jaiswal DRS call #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Xv6f9VlysM

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 30, 2024

India's Captain Weighs In

When Rohit Sharma, the captain of India, was questioned regarding the dismissal, he remarked, It wasn't visible on Snicko but you could see it change direction with your own eyes, there was a deviation. It seemed he made contact with it. Although it's a hard decision, we accept what was concluded.

Neutral Expert View

Simon Taufel, who used to be a top umpire, supported the third umpire. Taufel mentioned that the umpire's decision followed the rules. Taufel explained that even though technology helps make decisions, it can still make mistakes Taufel said that you can see the ball bounce off the glove in this situation.

Match Impact

India was possibly doing well with a score of 142/4 and it looked like they were going to put up a good total but then Jaiswal got out, and things got worse after that. The team crumbled and only added 13 more runs, ending up with 155 for the second innings. Australia found it simple to go after that and came out on top by 184 runs, making the series obtain even at 2-2.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, on Wednesday, took another jibe at India head coach Gautam Gambhir as their feud continued over his comments on Virat Kohli's form heading into the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as well. Reiterating his “prickly character” remark, Ricky Ponting said a “frightened” Gautam Gambhir only took a jibe at him in the wake of India's Test series whitewash at home against New Zealand earlier this month as well.

Virat Kohli had a poor series against New Zealand

Speaking on the podcast show 'The Run Home with Joel & Fletch,' hours after clarifying his statement on Kohli's form, Ponting said, “I'm not sure if I mentioned a couple of them, but I reckon he's just throwing me in the deep end, trying to find their two most experienced and make sure when they come out, they put that back on me.”

SEE ALSO: Watch: Rohit Sharma's Playful 'Rohit Bhai RCB Me Aa Jao Yaar' Query Goes Viral

However, Ricky Ponting once again shared that while he was concerned about Virat Kohli's form as he scored only three centuries in the last five years, where his home average dropped to almost 30, he also felt that the Australia tour could just set up the perfect platform for him to prove his critics wrong as well.

Ricky Ponting concerned about Virat Kohli's form

“I was asked the other night if I was concerned about Virat Kohli's form. A day before, I had read his stats from the last five years, so it was clear in my mind. I think he made only two (three) centuries in the last five years. His average in India is now down to 30 from 90, during this period. So yes, I would be concerned. And I said if you ask him about his form, he would be concerned because it is nowhere near what it used to be. But then I said since he loves playing in Australia and has a great record here, so if there ever was a tour where he could turn things around, it would be this. But they never talked about the second part. Then Gambhir went and faced the press having just lost against New Zealand. The hair on the back of his neck is already standing up. We got a bit of history as well, but he took a chance to fire back at me,” he concluded.

Legendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting opened up his expectations from the former Indian captain Virat Kohli in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. 

India are getting ready to begin their journey in the upcoming five-match Test series against the hosts Australia. They are suddenly under immense pressure after poorly losing the three-match home Test series against New Zealand. 

That's a huge result: Ponting on New Zealand's recent Test series dominance in India

Even without experienced and dependable Kane Williamson, New Zealand not only won their first-ever Test series in India, but the hosts also suffered their first-ever home Test series whitewash while playing more than two Tests in a series.   

Ricky Ponting claimed that it was a huge result for New Zealand.

In the ICC Review, Ponting said, “That's a huge result. One that I wasn't expecting, to be honest, more so, when you look at it with Kane Williamson not being there. When you think about his (Williamson’s) record in the subcontinent, the sort of the rock and the leader that he's been for that team.”

Most of the Indian batters completely struggled against the New Zealand spinners in the recent home Test series. 

Talking about Indian batters’ poor performances against spin, Ponting said,  “I think the one thing it does probably say is it’s really starting to highlight India's vulnerability against good quality spin bowling. It seems as though the skill of the modern Indian batsmen of playing spin is probably not what it used to be.”

Ponting also believed that modern-day Indian batters’ preparation to face high-quality pacers can be a big reason for Indian batters' downgraded performances against quality spinners. 

On the other hand, former Indian captain Virat Kohli’s recent Test cricket form is disappointing. Since 2020, Kohli has hit two centuries and nine half-centuries in 60 Test innings. The right-handed batter has scored 1838 Test runs in this period with an average of 31.68, which is not good enough according to Kohli’s batting quality level. 

SEE ALSO: BGT could be Gambhir's last assignment as India head coach

I wouldn't be surprised to see Virat make runs in the first game: Ponting

While Ponting can’t believe Kohli’s recent Test stats, he strongly feels that the upcoming Test series in Australia is a good opportunity for the former Indian captain to show his incredible batting caliber. 

Ponting said, “I've said it before about Virat, you don't ever question the greats of the game. There's no doubt, he's a great of the game.

“He loves playing against Australia. In fact, I know he loves playing against Australia. And as I said, his record (in Australia) is very good. If there's a time for him to turn it around, it'd be this series. So I wouldn't be surprised to see Virat make runs in the first game.”

Virat Kohli is the second-leading run-scorer for India in Test cricket in Australia. The right-handed batter has scored 1352 Test runs in Australia with an average of 54.08, including six centuries and four half-centuries. 

While after Sachin Tendulkar (13), Kohli (10) is the second Indian batter to record at least ten 50+ scores in the Test format in Australia, Kohli (6 centuries) is one century away from breaking Sachin’s record for most Test centuries by an Indian in Australia. 

Legendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting has opened up his thoughts on the recent IPL retention. He also revealed the names of the players, which surprised him for non-retentions. 

The IPL retention deadline has seen many surprise exclusions. However, many of those were expected. Some of the teams have even excluded their top names, which will force them to set a new culture in the team.   

Former Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting is now working with Punjab Kings, who have retained only two uncapped players. While it wasn’t a shocking retention theory for the team, as they haven’t played the IPL playoffs for the last 10 seasons, they will play a big role in the upcoming mega auction with the remaining purse of INR 110.50 crore. 

SEE ALSO: Agartala likely to be KKR's second home venue for IPL 2025

It was a bit surprising: Ricky Ponting

Talking about the IPL retentions, Ponting is surprised with Delhi Capitals, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, and Lucknow Super Giants. 

Ponting said, according to Indian Express, “I’m a bit surprised with some of the non-Indian retentions if you like, with both Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant being available in the auctions. It was a bit surprising, even KL Rahul to a certain degree. It seems like individuals or franchises are busy looking to move in different directions to some of their players.” 

Shreyas Iyer was the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders, who won the IPL 2024 trophy. On the other hand, since the IPL 2016 auction success, it was the first time that Delhi Capitals released their latest captain Rishabh Pant. As Ponting was the recent head coach of Delhi Capitals, he is very surprised by Pant’s exclusion. 

In the meantime, KL Rahul was the captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Under his leadership, LSG qualified for the playoffs in their first two seasons (2022 and 2023), where Krunal Pandya played the stand-in captain role in the 2023 edition during Rahul’s absence in the almost second half of the season.

In the IPL 2024, LSG failed to reach the playoffs as they finished in the seventh position. Although they had the same points as the fourth-placed team, LSG’s net run rate was very low. 

Ponting about IPL retention and auction

Ponting also opened up about why IPL retention and auctions make the game more exciting.    

Ponting said, “This is where it gets exciting. You’ve got to understand who your number one target is and how much money you are willing to pay for them. That’s such a big part of it (IPL), of getting the auction right strategy-wise. And then handing it over to us, as a group of coaches.”

Ricky Ponting is beginning his journey with the Punjab Kings by forming a dedicated support staff team, including some familiar faces from his time at Delhi Capitals. With a new four-year contract, he’s setting the stage for a successful tenure.

Familiar faces join Ponting at Punjab Kings

Ricky Ponting has taken his first major step in creating his team at Punjab Kings, starting with the addition of James Hopes, the former Australian all-rounder. Hopes, who has worked closely with Ponting at Delhi Capitals, joins as the new fast-bowling coach. Hopes had been offered a contract extension with the Delhi franchise after Ponting’s exit, but he chose to follow his former captain to Punjab Kings. This move signifies the exit of Charl Langeveldt, the former South African pacer, who had been in charge of fast-bowling under Trevor Bayliss in the last two IPL seasons.

Hopes, known for his international career with 84 ODIs and 12 T20Is for Australia, previously played for Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) during the inaugural IPL season in 2008. His familiarity with the IPL landscape and experience in the league will bring strategic insights to the team’s bowling lineup.

Key retentions and departures in the support staff

Alongside Hopes, Ponting has retained Brad Haddin as assistant coach, with responsibilities over batting and wicket-keeping. Haddin, initially brought in by Bayliss, had worked with Ponting in the past and has been a reliable presence for the team’s coaching framework. Sunil Joshi, former India spinner, also remains in his role as spin-bowling coach, adding continuity to the Punjab Kings’ coaching roster. Sanjay Bangar, however, has exited from his role as head of cricket development. His contract, initially set for three years, was terminated midway.

See Also: BCCI announces Indian squads for South Africa and Australia tours

Ponting has kept other essential staff, such as Adrian le Roux as strength and conditioning (S&C) coach and Andrew Leipus as team physio, to ensure continuity in the player fitness program. Now, his main priority is finalizing the player retention list, with discussions around key players like Arshdeep Singh and options for utilizing Right to Match (RTM) cards to secure talent at competitive prices.

Legendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting has been appointed as the head coach of the IPL team Punjab Kings. The IPL team has officially announced their new head coach appointment on Wednesday (September 18).

In the IPL 2023 and 2024, Trevor Bayliss was the head coach of the Punjab Kings. Now, from the IPL 2025, the Punjab-based IPL franchise will play under Ricky Ponting’s coaching. Ponting will have an important role in the upcoming mega auction.

In the official statement, Punjab Kings’ CEO Satish Menon revealed that Ponting has been appointed as the head coach of the team for the next four years.

𝐏𝐔𝐍TER is 𝐏𝐔𝐍JAB! 🦁♥️

🚨 Official Statement 🚨
Ricky Ponting joins Punjab Kings as the new Head Coach! #RickyPonting #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/DS9iAHDAu7

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) September 18, 2024

I am excited to take up the new challenge: Ricky Ponting

Ponting said, "I am grateful to Punjab Kings for presenting me with the opportunity to be the new Head Coach. I am excited to take up the new challenge. I had great conversations with the owners and the management about the way forward and was truly elated to see the alignment of our visions for the team. We all want to repay the fans who have stayed with the franchise over the years and we promise that they will see a much different Punjab Kings going forward."

SEE ALSO: ICC delegation set to inspect security measures in Pakistan; Here is why?

Punjab Kings are struggling in the IPL for a long time

Punjab Kings have been among the underperformed IPL teams for many years. Apart from their IPL 2008 semi-final exit and IPL 2014 runners-up finishing, Punjab Kings, formerly known as Kings XI Punjab, have never finished in the top four of an IPL season. 

Punjab Kings last time finished in the top five during the IPL 2017. While ten teams have been participating in the IPL since 2022, Punjab Kings finished in the sixth, eighth, and ninth places in the last three seasons, respectively. 

Ricky Ponting has a great experience in IPL coaching

Ricky Ponting is a very experienced coach, especially in the Indian Premier League. During the IPL 2015 and 2016, Ponting was the head coach of Mumbai Indians. Under his coaching, Mumbai Indians won the IPL 2015 trophy. 

Between 2018 and 2024, Ponting was the head coach of the IPL team Delhi Capitals (formerly known as Delhi Daredevils). During his coaching tenure, Delhi Capitals made huge improvements, including reaching the playoffs for three straight seasons (2019, 2020, and 2021) and finishing as the runners-up in the IPL 2020, which was their first-ever IPL final appearance.