Ricky Ponting doesn't want to hear Virat Kohli say 'I've achieved everything': 'The one thing I don't like…'

In fact, Ricky Ponting wants Kohli to return from Australia with as much as he can achieve. In an interview with Fox ahead of the start of the 1st ODI at Perth, Kohli spoke about how fresh he feels having taken a long break, but the fact that he registered his maiden ODI duck in Australia didn't quite back it up. Ponting insists that he wants to see the same hunger from Kohli and not rest on his previous laurels, especially now that so much is being spoken about his place in India's squad for the next World Cup.

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"The one thing I don't like hearing from anyone is that 'I've achieved everything in the game' because I think you still have to have some really short-term goals and not just be hanging on to try and get through to the 2027 World Cup,” Ponting said on the ICC Review.

"Virat's always been a highly motivated person. And I'd like to think that he's probably sat down and even just given himself some goals and things that he can achieve in this series here in Australia and not be just waiting and killing time for that next World Cup to come around."

From Perth, the Indian team has landed in Adelaide for the second ODI, and neither Kohli nor Rohit Sharma would have loved any other city than the Adelaide Oval to bat next. Like Kohli, a huge question mark hovers over Rohit's ODI future as well, and while the 2027 World Cup is two years away – as BCCI's chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar has repeatedly pointed out – writing off either of the two legends would be foolish, reminds Ponting.

"Finding your rhythm and tempo is the biggest thing. When you've had a break, just getting back used to the rhythm and the tempo of the 50-over game again, it takes a little bit of time for anybody. I'd expect to see both those guys bounce back into it pretty quickly. As I said, Adelaide is a great place to bat and a great place to play cricket. But it won't be easy for the fact that they are facing some of the best white-ball bowlers that have ever played the game. So, the challenge is definitely there," added Australia's two-time World Cup-winning captain.

"But I say it all the time, you don't write off champion players ever. And these two guys have been two of the best, and while I'm on record saying I think Virat's the best 50-over player I've ever seen, you don't write them off. They'll find a way to contribute and win games for their team, and if they do that, then they'll most likely be in that World Cup team in 2027."

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