New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell has scripted history by becoming the world’s number one ODI batsman in the fresh ICC rankings released Wednesday, edging out Virat Kohli in a tightly contested race.
The catalyst? Mitchell’s dominant display in the ODI series against India, where he plundered 2 hundreds and a fifty, clinching series MVP and delivering New Zealand’s first-ever ODI series win in India. Speculation peaked after his ton in Indore, and the rankings duly reflected his supremacy with a one-place surge.
Kohli, dethroned from the summit, now occupies second. Despite his own century and half-century in the series, the Indian stalwart couldn’t hold off the Kiwi’s charge.
Other movers include Ibrahim Zadran, up to third from Afghanistan. Rohit Sharma’s series struggles—promising starts but no fifties—cost him dearly, sliding him to fourth.
India’s Shubman Gill remains at five, Babar Azam at six. Harry Tector (Ireland) is seventh, Shai Hope (West Indies) eighth, Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka) ninth, and KL Rahul (India) tenth after a promotion. Shreyas Iyer drops to 11th.
As rankings evolve with every match, Mitchell’s triumph underscores the value of match-winning knocks in shaping cricket’s elite order.