Virat Kohli’s No.1 ODI reign lasted just seven days! Discover how New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell stormed past him with record-breaking scores to claim the top spot and power his team to a historic series win in India.
Virat Kohli loses top spot in ICC ODI rankings
New Delhi: Virat Kohli’s much-anticipated return to the pinnacle of the ICC Men’s ODI batting rankings lasted only a week. The Indian star had reclaimed the No.1 spot on January 11 after a dazzling 93 off 91 balls in the opening match of the three-game series against New Zealand.
However, his reign was abruptly ended as New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell surged to the top following a series of stunning performances that helped the Black Caps secure their first bilateral ODI series win in India.
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The Hamilton-born batter was in sensational form throughout the series, amassing 352 runs across three innings. This tally set a new benchmark for New Zealand in a three-match bilateral ODI series and ranks as the third-highest total in history, behind Pakistan’s Babar Azam (360 vs West Indies, 2016) and India’s Shubman Gill (360 vs New Zealand, 2023).
Mitchell’s consistency and impact earned him the Player of the Series award.
Mitchell carried New Zealand’s challenge in the series opener with 84 off 71 balls. He then followed it up with an unbeaten 131 off 117 deliveries in the second ODI to level the series 1-1. In the decider at Indore, Kohli responded with a valiant 124 off 108 balls, but Mitchell once again stole the show with a commanding 137 off 131, earning back-to-back Player of the Match awards and cementing his rise to No.1.
With these performances, Mitchell now leads the ICC ODI batting chart with 845 points, 50 ahead of Kohli, who slipped to second with 795 points. Both are comfortably ahead of the chasing pack, which includes Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran, India’s Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Pakistan’s Babar Azam.
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Notably, this marks the second time Mitchell has reached the top of the ODI rankings, having first achieved the feat in November last year before Rohit Sharma briefly reclaimed the spot.
Mitchell’s exploits not only propelled him to the top of the rankings but also powered New Zealand to a historic series win on Indian soil—a feat they had not achieved in 37 years. His performances underline a meteoric rise in world cricket and highlight that the battle for ODI supremacy is far from over.
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