India’s modern batting maestro, Virat Kohli, has once again set the cricketing world alight. Fresh off a scintillating run of form in the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa—where he struck two masterful centuries—the Indian superstar has been rewarded with a significant rise in the latest ICC rankings.
Kohli has climbed two spots to secure second place in the ICC ODI Batting Rankings, edging himself ever closer to reclaiming the world No. 1 position—a throne he last occupied in April 2021. Since then, Pakistan’s Babar Azam had maintained a strong grip on the top, but Kohli’s latest exploits have reignited the race for the crown.
Across the three-match series, Kohli amassed a sublime 302 runs, earning the Player of the Series title. His unbeaten 65 in the final ODI* served as yet another reminder of his extraordinary consistency. In the newest rankings, he now sits just behind his compatriot Rohit Sharma, who retained the top spot with a steady contribution of 146 runs in the same series. The margin between them? A razor-thin eight rating points—a gap that could vanish with a single explosive innings.
With India’s next ODI assignment beginning 11 January, against New Zealand, all eyes will be on the enthralling battle between Rohit and Kohli for the No. 1 mantle.
Table of Contents
📊 ICC ODI Rankings — Key Movements
ODI Batting (Selected Players)
| Player | Country | Movement | New Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | India | — | 1 |
| Virat Kohli | India | ↑ 2 | 2 |
| KL Rahul | India | ↑ 2 | 12 |
| Quinton de Kock | South Africa | ↑ 3 | 13 |
| Aiden Markram | South Africa | ↑ 4 | 25 |
| Temba Bavuma | South Africa | ↑ 3 | 37 |
ODI Bowling (Selected Players)
| Player | Country | Movement | New Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kuldeep Yadav | India | ↑ 3 | 3 |
T20I Shake-Up
There has been movement in the ICC T20I charts as well. South Africa’s young sensation Dewald Brevis has broken into the top ten for the first time, climbing three places to eighth. India’s Axar Patel rose two spots to 13th, Arshdeep Singh jumped to 20th, and Jasprit Bumrah surged six places to 25th, continuing his remarkable return to form.
Test Rankings: Stark Rise for Starc
In the Test arena, Australia’s left-arm speedster Mitchell Starc has enjoyed a career-best ranking, moving up three places to third among Test bowlers. His back-to-back Player of the Match performances, featuring 18 wickets across two Tests, underline his lethal rhythm.
England, however, faced a setback as Harry Brook slipped two places to fourth due to the team’s inconsistent batting displays. Upwards movement by Kane Williamson and Steve Smith nudged him down, with Joe Root retaining his position at the summit.
The drawn Christchurch Test between New Zealand and the West Indies saw notable improvements for several players:
Rachin Ravindra climbed nine places to 15th
Tom Latham rose six spots to 34th
Shai Hope moved up an impressive 19 places to join 48th
Justin Greaves advanced 16 spots to 60th
Kemar Roach improved by five places among bowlers