Virat Kohli ODI rankings once again took centre stage, as the previous India captain won back the No. 1 spot in ICC men ODI batting rankings at the expense of Rohit Sharma who was at the top. This performance, coupled with his other authoritative performance, increases the lifespan of Kohli, as well as his dominance in the 50-over game at a time when, domestically, he is playing only ODIs on the international front.
First, the spark in this change of rankings was the brilliant performance of Kohli in the first round of ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara. Going after a target of more than 300, India had to rely on the calmness and discipline of Kohli who scored 93 against the 91 balls and this performance made him the Player of the Match. Besides leading to victory in the first of the three match series, the same knock catapulted Kohli back to the pinnacle of the ICC table, a spot he is more comfortable with than virtually any player of his time.
This update has seen Virat Kohli ODI rankings reflect a positive move of him claiming the first position in his career, the 11th time. The first climb took place in October 2013 and over the years he has made an impressive 825 days as the highest scorer in ODI in the world. It is the most Indian players and Kohli is in the top ten place on the all time list across the board. The world has only a single legend of West Indies, Vivian Richards who occupied the top spot an unbelievable 2,306 days.
One such sudden turn to the top does not make Kohli conducting the show on his own though. His current spell of performances has been beyond phenomenal. He had previously registered scores of 74 not out, 135, 102 and 65 not out in his last 4ODIs. That series is not only evidence of consistency, but also of being able to adjust to various situations in a match, which is a trait that even today, Kohli is still noted to have above his fellow players, even in the final years of his career.
In the meantime, the overhaul of the top has been felt all through the rankings. As the No. 1 bat in the series, Rohit Sharma fell to number three when he could only achieve 26 during the first ODI with New Zealand. That was further heightened by the New Zealand Daryl Mitchell who was able to score 84 off 71 balls in the same match; this pushed him up to the second spot in the ranking. The margins are very thin, however. Kohli has 785, Mitchell 784 and Rohit 775 now and one fantatical performance will easily rearrange the pecking order once again before the end of the series.
Moreover, the KL Rahul of India recorded slight improvements on the ranking ladder. His 29 off 21 balls in Vadodara, which remained undefeated, saw him move up 12 th to 11 th, a minor but significant achievement, which portrays his still worthiness as a finisher to the ODI set up.
The new update of ICC, however, was not restricted to ODIs only. The end of the series of Ashes that Australia won 4-1 was a major influence in the Test rankings. Travis Head, the player who lead the run charts (629 runs throughout series), leaped to the 3rd position among Test batters. In closing the series in style with an impressive 138 in the last Test at the SCG Steven Smith, a man with the commanding series, climbed to No. 4. In England, Joe Root and Harry Brook have scored 400 and 358 respectively, and Jacob Bethell is stunned by 154 in the 2 nd inning at Sydney; he rose a total of 25 positions in the the chart, ranking him 52 nd.
Mitchell Starc is an excellent bowler who has played on the bowling front, Not only did the Ashes Series give Mitchell Starc the Player of the Series award, but his remarkable campaign earned him 31 wickets, soaring in the ranking of Test bowlers by six spots (No. 3). Scott Boland, who took 20 wickets, stood strong at the seventh position as he was standing before the series was initiated.
Lastly, T20I positions were also shifting. Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka moved up the ranking by three positions to the second bowler and Sahibzada Farhan of Pakistan moved up the ranking by five spots to the fifth batter after picking up 51 in the first of the series.
Finally, the fact that Virat Kohli ODI rankings are one again at the top of things is more of a statistical update than the constant reminder of his timeless success in the format. Because India is still on their tour against New Zealand and the other countries are still advancing across the board, the rankings are still volatile. However, at the moment, the fact that Kohli is on the all-time list adds to his crowning him one of the most iconic ODI batters of all time and the standard by which the modern game is still judging greatness.
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