Following an excellent performance in the ODI World Cup, India batsman Virat Kohli moved up one spot to third in the latest update of the ODI Player Rankings. Meanwhile, his teammate Shubman Gill remained in first place.
Kohli hit a tournament-high 765 runs during the recent ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, propelling the right-hander to third place and within 35 rating points of Gill, who remained batting leader.
Gill maintains his lead with 826 rating points, well ahead of Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, who is in second position with 824 points. However, Kohli (791 points) and India’s captain, Rohit Sharma (now fourth with 769 points, up one spot), are closing in after impressive displays in the World Cup.
Kohli broke former teammate Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most ODI hundreds with three at the World Cup, while Rohit hammered 597 runs as the India duo concluded the tournament as the two best run scorers.
Kohli notably maintained the No. 1 ranking for a total of 1258 consecutive days between 2017 and 2021, with Babar spending the most of time in the top spot in recent years till Gill took over at the World Cup.
Due to the ascent of the Indian duo, South Africa opener Quinton de Kock falls two places to fifth in the ODI batter rankings, while New Zealand right-hander Daryl Mitchell rises five places to sixth on the back of his 552 runs at the World Cup.
The most noticeable mover is Australian opener Travis Head, who jumped 28 places to 15th overall after his magnificent century and Player of the Match performance in the World Cup final.
South African spinner Keshav Maharaj remains the best ODI bowler, with India’s Mohammed Siraj (third) and Jasprit Bumrah (fourth) solidly snuggled within the top 10, but teammate Kuldeep Yadav loses one spot to equal sixth.
A slew of Australian players are making inroads following their World Cup triumph.
Experienced seamer Josh Hazlewood moves up four places to second overall, while fellow quick Mitchell Starc moves up eight places to 12th and skipper Pat Cummins moves up seven places to 27th.
After the World Cup, there hasn’t been much change in the top ten ODI rankings for all-rounders, with Bangladesh veteran Shakib Al Hasan holding a healthy lead at the top. Mitchell Santner of New Zealand falls two places to seventh, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz of Bangladesh improves two places to ninth.
Source:IANS