Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli’s frustration after losing his wicket for 23 in the 2nd ODI against New Zealand (Credits :"Screengrab form Willow ")

Overview:

Virat Kohli, at 37, has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings, a position he last held in July 2021. Rohit Sharma have now slipped to third.

Virat Kohli couldn’t convert his solid start into a bigger score, departing for just 23 in the second ODI against New Zealand. The batter, who was looking fluent, was dismissed by Kristian Clarke after playing a restrained knock. Kohli tried to play a late shot to an angling delivery from Clarke but ended up dragging the ball onto his stumps. Clearly upset with the way his innings ended, having squandered a promising start, he walked back to the dressing room looking disappointed.

Virat Kohli’s brilliant 93 off 91 balls against New Zealand in Vadodara saw him reclaim the top position in the ICC ODI batter rankings, overtaking Rohit Sharma. At the age of 37, Virat Kohli has ascended to the top of the ICC ODI rankings for batters, marking his first return to the No. 1 spot since July 2021. Meanwhile, former captain Rohit Sharma has slipped to third.

Virat Kohli, at 37, has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings, a position he last held in July 2021. Rohit Sharma have now slipped to third. On Sunday, India defeated New Zealand by four wickets, with Virat Kohli playing a brilliant knock of 93 off 91 balls. This innings also pushed him to second on the all-time men’s international run list, only behind Sachin Tendulkar.

He has been in outstanding ODI form recently, registering an unbeaten 74 against Australia, and following it up with scores of 135, 102, and 65* against South Africa, plus a 93 against New Zealand in his last five outings.

Since first reaching the top of the ICC rankings in October 2013, Virat Kohli has now been the No. 1 ranked ODI batter for 825 days. This marks his 11th time at the summit, the most for any Indian batter, and the 10th highest total by any player in history.

V M Suriya Narayanan is a passionate cricket writer who has been following the game since 2007. With a background in Civil Engineering (B.E.), he blends analytical thinking with a deep understanding of...