Virat Kohli’s push to regain the mantle as the No.1 ranked ODI player in the world has gained further momentum after the India star made good ground on the latest update to the ICC ODI Player Rankings.
Kohli scored a tournament best 765 runs during the recent ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and that helped the in-form right-hander jump one place to third on the latest rankings and within just 35 rating points of teammate Shubman Gill.
Gill (826 rating points) holds on to a narrow lead at the top of the batter rankings and Pakistan skipper Babar Azam (824) remains second, but Kohli (791) and India skipper Rohit Sharma (up one spot to fourth with 769 rating points) are now within striking distance after some strong performances during the World Cup.
Kohli famously held the No.1 ranking for a total of 1258 consecutive days during a reign of almost four years between 2017 and 2021, with Babar spending the majority of time in the premier position in recent years until Gill claimed top billing during the World Cup.
The rise of the India duo means South Africa opener Quinton de Kock drops two spots to fifth on the ODI batter rankings, with New Zealand right-hander Daryl Mitchell rising five spots to sixth on the back of his 552 runs at the World Cup.
The biggest eye-catcher on the updated ODI batter rankings is Travis Head, with the Australia opener jumping a massive 28 places to 15th overall after his brilliant century and Player of the Match performance in the World Cup final.
