Post by : Bianca
Haleem
Virat Kohli has ascended to the pinnacle of the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings for the first time in over three years, thanks to his stellar performance in one-day cricket. This marks his return to the No.1 position, which he last held in July 2021, following a magnificent innings against New Zealand.
Kohli scored an impressive 93 off 91 balls during the opening match of the three-match ODI series with New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday. This crucial innings played a significant role in India's triumph and allowed him to overtake his teammate, Rohit Sharma, atop the rankings.
This is the 11th time Kohli has reached the No.1 ranking throughout his distinguished career. He first achieved this status in October 2013, accumulating a total of 825 days at the top—the highest by any Indian player. He currently stands 10th on the all-time leaderboard, with West Indies legend Viv Richards leading with 2,306 days at No.1.
Kohli's resurgence follows an impressive return to ODI cricket. Despite suffering back-to-back ducks against Australia last October, he rebounded with a fluent 74 in Sydney. Continuing his form, he scored 135, 102, and an unbeaten 65 in the ODI series against South Africa.
However, Kohli faces tough competition for the top spot as New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell is just one rating point behind, following his 84 in the series opener. Mitchell's ascent has pushed Rohit Sharma to third place, leaving him trailing Kohli by 10 points.
In other ODI ranking news, K.L. Rahul has moved up to 11th place, while Devon Conway has climbed three spots to 29th among batters. Additionally, Mohammed Siraj has advanced five places to rank 15th, and Kyle Jamieson has seen a remarkable rise of 27 spots, reaching 69th.
In the ICC Men’s Test rankings, Australia’s Travis Head and Steve Smith have both moved up to third and fourth positions, respectively, after stellar performances in the final Ashes Test. Joe Root maintains his position as the top-ranked Test batter, while Harry Brook holds the second spot. Among bowlers, Mitchell Starc has surged from ninth to third after his match-winning displays during the Ashes series.
English
