India star regains No.1 spot following match-winning knock against New Zealand.
Vadodara | By Taieb Khatizwal
Virat Kohli has returned to the top of the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings for the first time since July 2021, climbing back to No.1 after a series of strong performances for India.
Kohli reclaimed the top position following his match-winning 93 off 91 balls against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday, replacing team-mate Rohit Sharma. It marks the 11th time in his career that the former India captain has led the ODI batting rankings.
The 35-year-old’s rise has been driven by consistent scoring in recent months, including innings of 135, 102 and 65 not out in a home series against South Africa late last year, as well as an unbeaten 74 against Australia in Sydney.
Kohli first reached the summit of the ODI rankings in October 2013 and has now spent a combined 825 days at No.1, the most by any Indian batter. He currently sits 10th on the all-time list, led by West Indies great Vivian Richards, who held the top position for 2,306 days.
New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell has also moved ahead of Rohit Sharma following scores of 84, tightening the race at the top, with just 10 ranking points separating the top three batters.
In other ODI ranking movements, K.L. Rahul rose one place to 11th and Devon Conway climbed three spots to 29th. Among bowlers, Mohammad Siraj advanced five places to 15th, while Kyle Jamieson jumped 27 spots to 69th.
In the ICC Men’s Test rankings, Travis Head and Steve Smith moved up to third and fourth respectively after centuries in the final Ashes Test in Sydney, where Australia secured a five-wicket win to complete a 4–1 series victory. Joe Root remained top of the Test batting rankings, with Harry Brook holding second place.
Test bowler Mitchell Starc, Player of the Series, climbed to third after taking 31 wickets, while Scott Boland stayed seventh. England’s Josh Tongue rose nine places to a career-best 21st.
In T20I rankings, Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga moved up to second after a five-wicket haul against Pakistan, while Pakistan batters Sahibzada Farhan and Salman Agha also made gains following the three-match series.
The latest ICC rankings reflect performances across ODI, Test and T20I formats, with several players gaining ground following recent bilateral series and championship matches.