Indian batsman Virat Kohli has reached the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings after his strong performance in the opening match of the series against New Zealand. With the rankings to be released by the ICC on Wednesday, January 13, Kohli’s recent form has seen him regain the No. 1 spot.
On January 11, the Men in Blue successfully chased down the target of 301 runs and won the match at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. Kohli played an important role with the bat during the run chase. The senior batsman scored 93 runs off 91 balls, which helped India chase the target and get the series off to a great start.
Can Virat Kohli reclaim the ODI No. 1 ranking from Rohit Sharma in the next ICC update?
The 37-year-old is close to the top spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings after his 93-run innings against New Zealand in Vadodara. This knock helped reduce the gap between him and Rohit Sharma, who is currently sitting at No. 1.
According to the latest ICC rankings, Rohit is on top with 781 rating points, while Virat Kohli is at second place with 773 points. There is a difference of 8 points between the two batsmen.
Kohli started the three-match ODI series with a strong performance, while Rohit scored 26 runs in the same match. Kohli now has a clear chance to reduce the gap further during the upcoming rankings announcement.
The Delhi-born cricketer could get back to the No. 1 spot in the next ICC rankings update. Kohli previously held the top ODI ranking for more than three years, before being replaced by former Pakistan captain Babar Azam in 2021.
Here are the current top five in the ICC ODI batting rankings:
| Post | player | Team | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | India | 781 |
| 2 | Virat Kohli | India | 773 |
| 3 | darryl mitchell | new zealand | 766 |
| 4 | ibrahim zadran | afghanistan | 764 |
| 5 | Shubman Gill | India | 723 |
India achieved the target of 300 runs on the basis of Virat Kohli’s brilliant bowling in the first ODI in Vadodara.
Invited to bat first, New Zealand scored a total of 300/8 runs in 50 overs. Devon Conway (56), Henry Nicholls (62) and Daryl Mitchell (84) scored valuable runs. For India, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna took two wickets each.
Chasing the target, Virat Kohli scored 93 runs in 91 balls. He got support from Shubman Gill (56) and Shreyas Iyer (49), while KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 29 runs. India achieved the target in 49 overs. Kyle Jamieson was the best bowler for New Zealand, taking four wickets.
Kohli was named Player of the Match, his 45th POTM award in ODI cricket. He is now third on the all-time list behind Sanath Jayasuriya (48 awards) and Sachin Tendulkar, who leads with 62. The second ODI will be played on Wednesday, January 14 at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.
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