BREAKING! Virat Kohli Surpasses Rohit Sharma, Daryl Mitchell To Become No. 1

India's legendary batter Virat Kohli has returned to the No. 1 spot in the ICC Men’s Batting Rankings after India’s four-wicket win over New Zealand in the first ODI. He reclaimed the position after his superb knock of 93 runs off 91 balls. His innings guided India through a tough chase and once again showed his class in the 50-over format.

The knock was also important from a record point of view, as it took him closer to Sachin Tendulkar and helped him move to second place on the all-time men’s international run-scoring list, with 28,068 runs, surpassing Kumar Sangakkara at 28,016.

Who is No 1 ODI Batsman in ICC Rankings?

Kohli, who is arguably the best ODI batsman in the world, is in tremendous form right now. His comeback to the top is the result of his excellence since the ODI series in Australia. In his last five innings, he has scored 74 not out, 135, 102, 65*, and 93, showing his unreal consistency in the format.

At 37 years of age, Virat Kohli No 1 ODI Batter, has happened for the first time since July 2021, with his Vadodara innings playing a key role after India chased down a target of 300. This is the 11th time in his career that he has reached the top of the rankings, having first done so in October 2013. Overall, Virat Kohli has now spent 825 days as the world’s top-ranked batter, the highest by any Indian player and the 10th most in men’s cricket history.

However, Kohli’s grip on the top position could come under serious threat over the final two matches of the series, with New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell closing in fast and trailing him by just a single rating point. Mitchell’s knock of 84 in the opening game against India allowed him past Rohit Sharma into second place on the ICC ranking for ODI batsmen, pushing the former Indian skipper down to third, now 10 points behind Kohli.

In the latest rankings update, KL Rahul moved up one spot to 11th, while Devon Conway climbed up three places to reach the 29th spot among batters. On the bowling front, Mohammad Siraj advanced five positions to 15th, and Kyle Jamieson registered a massive gain of 27 places to move up to 69th.

Will Virat Kohli Play ODI World Cup 2027?

Virat Kohli's recent run of form makes a strong case for him to be a part of India's World Cup squad in 2027. With the kind of form he is in, he can be the point of difference for India in the tournament.

Both Kohli and Rohit are among the best batsmen in the world and their experience will be crucial for the Men in Blue. Both have already retired from the Test and T20I format and are highly focused on winning the ODI World Cup 2027 title for India.