Virat Kohli’s No.1 ODI Spot Under Threat as Daryl Mitchell Closes In

New Delhi: India’s cricket superstar Virat Kohli recently reclaimed the top spot in the ICC ODI batsmen rankings, but his reign at the summit could be short-lived. New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell is just one point behind Kohli and could overtake him soon. Kohli managed only 23 runs in the second ODI against New Zealand, impacting his ranking, while teammate Rohit Sharma slipped two places to third.

Kohli’s Stellar Form
Kohli earned his number one position through a string of impressive performances. In the first ODI against New Zealand, he scored a match-winning 93, reclaiming the top ranking. His resurgence began in October 2025 with an unbeaten half-century against Australia in Sydney, and he has since scored 50+ runs in four consecutive matches, ending speculations about his form. With a rating of 785, Kohli has become the No.1 ODI batsman for the first time since 2021. This marks the 11th time in his career that Kohli has reached the pinnacle, having first achieved the feat in October 2013. Over his career, he has spent a record 825 days as the top-ranked ODI batsman—the longest for any Indian player.

Daryl Mitchell in Red-Hot Form
Mitchell, currently second in the ICC ODI rankings with 784 points—just one behind Kohli—has been in outstanding form. He scored 84 off 71 balls in the first ODI, moving from third to second in the rankings. In the second ODI, Mitchell’s unbeaten 131-run performance further closed the gap. With only a single point separating the two, the outcome of the third and final ODI will decide who claims the top spot.

Kohli’s dominance in ODI cricket remains evident, but Mitchell’s surge ensures that the race for the number one ranking is now more thrilling than ever.