Kohli Hailed as Greatest ODI Player of All Time by Atherton and Hussain

Former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain have unanimously recognized Virat Kohli as the finest ODI cricketer of all time. On Sunday, during India's Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan, Kohli reached another historic milestone, becoming the fastest batter and only the third player to surpass 14,000 runs in ODIs.

Leading India’s chase in style, Kohli remained unbeaten on 100, sealing victory with a boundary as India triumphed over their arch-rivals by six wickets with 45 balls to spare.

“Virat Kohli in a run-chase in 50-over cricket, there’s been nobody better in the history of the game, really,” remarked Michael Atherton on Sky Sports Podcast.

“51 centuries is an unbelievable number.”

Previously, Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar held the record for being the fastest to 14,000 ODI runs, achieving the feat in 350 innings. Tendulkar remains the highest run-scorer in ODI history, accumulating 18,426 runs in 452 innings. Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara also crossed the 14,000-run mark, finishing his career with 14,234 runs in 380 innings.

Reflecting on Kohli’s latest milestone, Atherton added, “I mean, he’s got 51 and he passed 14,000 runs, which only Tendulkar and Sangakkara have got past that mark in one-day cricket.”

“And he got them in 60-odd innings quicker than Sachin, and I think about 90-odd innings quicker than Kumar. So, I mean, ODI is probably his best. You know, he’s been a great all-format player, clearly, but you’d probably say that ODI is his absolute best format.”

Nasser Hussain also heaped praise on Kohli, acknowledging his dominance in the format.

“He’s been an incredible player. Yeah, and you’d have to say probably the best player in ODIs of all time, really, with those stats you mentioned,” Hussain stated.

“You’d have Tendulkar in the same conversation. Kumar, you’d have AB de Villiers. They’ve been some great ones, but he’s right at the top of the tree.”

Hussain further emphasized the significance of Kohli's return to form against Pakistan.

“If you ask India what did they want yesterday—beat Pakistan and get Kohli back in nick—they’ve got both of those.”