Virat Kohli climbs to No. 2 in ICC ODI rankings as Rohit Sharma retains top spot
PTC Web Desk: Virat Kohli has taken another significant step in his bid to reclaim the crown of world’s best ODI batter, rising to the No. 2 position in the latest ICC ODI rankings released on Wednesday. The former India captain has not held the top spot since April 2021, when Pakistan’s Babar Azam overtook him. However, his recent form suggests a strong comeback is underway.
Kohli, 37, delivered a spectacular performance in the three-match ODI series against South Africa, scoring a remarkable 302 runs. His consistency earned him the Player of the Series award and propelled him two places up the table. He is now just eight rating points behind India skipper Rohit Sharma, who continues to hold the No. 1 ranking after scoring 146 runs in the same series. Kohli’s unbeaten 65 in the Visakhapatnam finale further strengthened his push toward the top.
Shubman Gill maintained his No. 5 ranking despite missing the South Africa series, while stand-in captain KL Rahul gained two places to reach 12th position. In the bowlers’ chart, Kuldeep Yadav climbed three spots to secure the third position, reflecting his recent success.
South African players also registered notable improvements. Quinton de Kock moved up to 13th, Aiden Markram jumped to 25th,and Temba Bavuma rose to 37th in the ODI batting rankings.
In the T20I rankings, Indian players Axar Patel (13th), Arshdeep Singh (20th) and Jasprit Bumrah (25th) made upward movements following India’s dominant 101-run win in Cuttack.
Test rankings also saw shifts. Yashasvi Jaiswal remains India’s highest-ranked Test batter at No. 8, while Gill and Rishabh Pant advanced to 11th and 13th, respectively. Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc enjoyed a major boost, rising to No. 3 among Test bowlers after two standout Ashes performances that earned him back-to-back Player of the Match honours and 18 wickets across two Tests.
Among Indian Test bowlers, Mohammad Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav each gained one position, now sitting at 12th, 13th, and 14th, respectively.
Meanwhile, England batter Harry Brook slipped two spots to fourth due to a poor run in the Ashes, allowing Kane Williamson and Steve Smith to climb to second and third behind No. 1 Joe Root.
- With inputs from agencies
