Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma tossed up as Ricky Ponting openly declares Indian players he admires

Legendary Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting has spoken about his favorite Indian players recently. Ponting named Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Sanju Samson as the players that he likes to watch the most.

When it comes to T20 cricket, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah are two of the top players in the world. But Ponting reserved special praise for Sanju Samson and claimed that he loves seeing him bat in T20 cricket.

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Ricky Ponting breaks silence on Sanju Samson's T20 performance

While speaking to Sky Sports, Ricky Ponting revealed his favorite Indian players. He spoke highly about Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant during the conversation.

Surprisingly, he did not name Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah and instead called Sanju Samson as one of his favorites in T20 cricket. Ponting claimed that he loves watching Samson bat in T20 cricket.

"There are a lot of Indian Players I like to watch - Rohit (Sharma), (Shubman) Gill, (Rishabh) Pant, then there is Virat (Kohli) - There is a guy called Sanju Samson, I don't know how much you seen him, I love watching him bat & go about business in T20s," Ponting said on Sky Sports.

Ricky Ponting said "There is a lot Indian Players i like to watch - Rohit, Gill, Pant, then there is Virat - There is a guy called Sanju Samson, I don't know how much you seen him, I love watching him bat & go about business in T20s". [Sky Sports] pic.twitter.com/4D7nkvExeS

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 30, 2024

Sanju Samson's maiden T20I hundred

Sanju Samson smashed his maiden T20I hundred in India's recent T20I match, against Bangladesh in the third T20I at Hyderabad. The wicketkeeper-batter has been in India's set-up for a long time now but his inconsistent performances and the high competition in India's batting line-up.

Samson is currently the captain of Rajasthan Royals and is a key player for the franchise. With the century in his recent international match, he has staked the claim on his spot as a top-order batter.

Among all the players that Ricky Ponting named, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have already retired from T20I cricket after India's historic title win in T20 World Cup 2024. Both legendary cricketers have been big servants of Indian cricket for the last decade or more.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in T20Is

Currently, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are the top two run-getters in T20Is with Rohit topping the list. Both have tremendous records in the format. The legendary batters will be crucial for India's chances in the upcoming ICC events.

Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill are the future of Indian cricket. Both Pant and Gill have shown glimpses of their talent and have shown how destructive they can be on their day. Pant has also worked with Ricky Ponting in the Delhi Capitals set-up where the latter was the head coach till IPL 2024.

Shubman Gill has established himself as an all-format batter for India. He has an excellent record in ODIs and is improving in Tests and T20Is as well. He is also seen as a future captain of India.