DUBAI: Virat Kohli continued his climb back toward the top of ODI batting, with the India great making noteworthy gains in the latest ICC Men’s Player Rankings.
Once the No. 1-ranked ODI batter for over three years, Kohli has not held the top spot since Babar Azam overtook him in April 2021.
However, his resurgence has been fuelled by a prolific three-match ODI series against South Africa, where he amassed 302 runs and was named Player of the Series.
His consistency pushed him two places up to No.2 in the ODI batting charts, now sitting just eight rating points behind teammate and current top-ranked batter Rohit Sharma.
Rohit, who scored 146 runs during the series, retained his position at the summit.
India’s next ODI assignment, a home series against New Zealand beginning January 11, now carries added intrigue, with Rohit and Kohli set for a direct battle for the premier batting spot.
KL Rahul also continued his steady rise, moving up two places to No.12 following his reliable contributions through the South Africa series.
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In the bowling department, Kuldeep Yadav was the standout mover, climbing three spots to No.3 among ODI bowlers.
South Africa’s batters also reaped rewards despite losing the series 2–1, with Quinton de Kock jumping to No.13, Aiden Markram up to 25th, and Temba Bavuma reaching 37th in the ODI rankings.
There was movement in the T20I charts as well, most notably with South Africa’s Dewald Brevis breaking into the top 10. The 21-year-old moved up three places to eighth after South Africa’s opening T20I against India.
Among bowlers, India’s dominant win in Cuttack propelled Axar Patel (13th), Arshdeep Singh (20th), and Jasprit Bumrah (25th) up the pecking order.
In Tests, Australia’s Mitchell Starc made one of the week’s biggest leaps. Consecutive Player-of-the-Match performances in the first two Ashes Tests, where he collected 18 wickets, lifted the left-armer three places to a career-best No.3 ranking.
Meanwhile, England’s batting struggles saw Harry Brook slip to fourth, with Kane Williamson and Steve Smith each climbing a spot behind Joe Root.
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