NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli’s golden run in one-day internationals has taken him back to the very top of the game. The Indian great reclaimed the No.1 spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings following his sublime knock against New Zealand in the first ODI in Vadodara, marking a return to the summit for the first time since July 2021.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Kohli’s 91-ball 93 was the cornerstone of India’s four-wicket win over the Black Caps and underlined why, even at 37, he remains the format’s most reliable run-machine. The innings not only helped India take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series but also saw Kohli overtake Rohit Sharma to reclaim the top ranking, with Rohit slipping to third place in the updated list.
The knock was significant on multiple fronts. It made Kohli the second-highest run-scorer in men’s international cricket, moving him past yet another milestone in his relentless pursuit of Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record. More importantly, it capped a staggering sequence of ODI performances that has redefined longevity at the elite level. Kohli’s last five ODI scores read 74 not out against Australia, 135, 102 and 65 not out against South Africa, followed by the 93 against New Zealand.Kohli first became the No.1-ranked ODI batter in October 2013 and this latest rise marks his 11th separate stint at the top. In total, he has now spent 825 days as the world’s leading ODI batter — the most by any Indian and the 10th most overall in men’s cricket history.
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India’s captain Shubman Gill has retained his fifth position in the rankings, while Shreyas Iyer remains the other Indian batter inside the top 10. For New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell was one of the major movers, climbing a spot after his aggressive 84 off 71 balls. Mitchell now sits just one rating point behind Kohli, underlining how tightly contested the top end of the rankings has become.In the bowling charts, India pacer Mohammed Siraj rose five places to 15th following his steady showing in Vadodara, while New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson made a significant leap, jumping 27 spots to joint 69th after his career-best 4 for 41.