Dubai, Jan 22: New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell has surged to the top of the ICC men’s ODI batting rankings, dislodging India’s Virat Kohli following a spectacular run of form in the recent three-match ODI series against India. Mitchell accumulated 845 rating points, comfortably overtaking Kohli, who dropped to No. 2 with 795 points in the latest update released on Wednesday. Mitchell’s rise to the summit comes on the back of an exceptional series in India, where he scored a tournament-leading 352 runs — the most ever by a visiting batter in a three-match ODI series in India — including two towering centuries and another significant contribution. His performances helped New Zealand secure a historic 2-1 series victory in India, their first in the country in more than three decades.
The 34-year-old’s consistent run — highlighted by unbeaten and match-winning innings — earned him the Player of the Series honours and marked the second time he has held the No. 1 ODI batting spot, having briefly reached the top last November before being overtaken.
Alongside Mitchell and Kohli, Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran moved into third place, narrowly ahead of India’s Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, reflecting shifting fortunes among the world’s leading ODI batters.
The new rankings underline Mitchell’s breakthrough year and signal a noteworthy moment in ODI cricket, as he ascends to the pinnacle of the global batting chart amid stiff competition from established stars.