Virat Kohli’s sensational form in ODI cricket has propelled him back to the top spot in the ICC batting rankings for the first time since July 2021. Kohli, who scored a stroke-filled 93 off 91 balls to set up India’s win in the opening match of the three-ODI series against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday, replaced teammate Rohit Sharma to reclaim the throne.
This is the 11th time in his record-laden career that Kohli has topped the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings, following a stunning run in the format. After consecutive ducks against Australia in October last year, his first international appearances since the Champions Trophy, Kohli bounced back with a fluent 74 to help India end the ODI leg with a consolation win in Sydney. On his return to home soil, he followed it up with scores of 135, 102 and an unbeaten 65 in the series against South Africa in November–December.
IND vs NZ 2nd ODI Live Score
The former India captain first reached the summit of the ODI rankings in October 2013 and has now spent a cumulative 825 days at No. 1, the most by an Indian batter. He currently sits 10th on the all-time list, topped by West Indies great Viv Richards, who held the position for a remarkable 2,306 days.
However, Kohli will face a challenge in retaining the top spot over the remaining two games of the series, with New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell just one rating point behind him. Mitchell’s fiery 84 in the series opener against India helped him leapfrog Rohit Sharma into second place, while the former India captain now sits third, 10 points adrift of Kohli.
In other notable movements in the ODI rankings, K.L. Rahul climbed one place to 11th, while Devon Conway rose three spots to 29th among batters. Among bowlers, Mohammad Siraj moved up five places to 15th, and Kyle Jamieson made a significant jump of 27 places to 69th.
In ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, Travis Head and Steve Smith moved to the third and fourth positions respectively after their centuries in the final Ashes Test match, where Australia won by five wickets in Sydney to complete a 4-1 victory. England’s Joe Root, who scored his second century in the series and finished as the top run-scorer for the visitors, consolidated his position at the top of the rankings. Harry Brook continues to hold on to the second position. Among bowlers, Mitchell Starc, who won the Player of the Series award for his 31-wicket haul during the Ashes campaign, jumped from the ninth position to the third.
