Virat Kohli has sealed his spot as the No.1 batsman in the world, dethroning his compatriot Rohit Sharma from the summit after the latest ICC rankings were published on Wednesday.
His brilliant knock of 93 runs in Vadodara against New Zealand helped him leapfrog Sharma, who got out cheaply against the Kiwis. Meanwhile, Sharma has slipped to the third spot with Daryl Mitchell climbing to the second spot.
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Kohli will now aim to hold on to the pole position by scoring consistently in the ongoing three-match ODI series against New Zealand.
What are the latest ICC rankings that put Virat Kohli at No.1?
The latest ICC update shows Kohli at 785 rating points, while Sharma sits on 775 after dropping to third place.
Here’s the current top five:
| Rank | Player | Team | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | India | 785 |
| 2 | Daryl Mitchell | New Zealand | 784 |
| 3 | Rohit Sharma | India | 775 |
| 4 | Ibrahim Zadran | Afghanistan | 764 |
| 5 | Shubman Gill | India | 725 |
Although the difference between Kohli and Mitchell remain just one point, the Indian ace can widen the gap if he continues to thrash out big scores in the New Zealand series.
Virat Kohli’s pursuit of a ranking he once dominated
Kohli previously held the No. 1 ODI ranking for over three years before Babar Azam overtook him in 2021. He has regained the summit spot in 2026 and will look to hold on to that for as long as possible, given the World Cup is set to take place next year.
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