ICC rankings: Virat Kohli rises to No. 2 in ODI batting, Rohit Sharma retains top spot

India’s great Virat Kohli moved up to the second spot in the latest ICC ODI batters rankings released on Wednesday.

Kohli hasn’t held the No.1 position for ODI batters since Pakistan’s Babar Azam displaced him in April 2021, but the right-hander is closing in on the top spot once again following his superb recent efforts for India in the three-match ODI series against South Africa.

The 37-year-old was adjudged Player of the Series for his 302 runs across the three matches and he was duly rewarded on the latest set of rankings as he improved two places to second overall behind teammate Rohit Sharma.

Rohit amassed 146 runs across the series to hold on to his spot at the top of the rankings, with Kohli closing to within eight rating points on the back of his unbeaten innings of 65 not out in the series finale in Visakhapatnam.

Shubman Gill retained his fifth spot despite missing the three-match series while stand-in skipper KL Rahul rose two places to 12th overall.

Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved up three spots to third in the bowlers’ chart.

South Africa trio of Quinton de Kock (up three rungs to 13th), Aiden Markram (up four places to 25th) and Temba Bavuma (up three spots to 37th) also made gains on the rankings for ODI batters.

In the T20I rankings, the trio of Axar Patel (up two spots to 13th), Arshdeep Singh (up three places to 20th) and Jasprit Bumrah (up six rungs to 25th) made gains, following India’s comprehensive 101-run victory in Cuttack.

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Yashasvi Jaiswal remained the top-ranked Indian batter in the Test rankings at number eight while Gill and Rishabh Pant have moved up a step each to 11th and 13th respectively.

Australian pacer Mitchell Starc has made a big jump on the latest rankings for Test bowlers led by Jasprit Bumrah.

The left-armer moved up three spots to third overall on the back of consecutive Player of the Match performances during the first two Ashes Tests against England.

Starc has 18 wickets from the two contests and finds himself moving to a new career-high rating and a best-ever ranking of third as a result.

The Indian trio of Mohammad Siraj (12th), Ravindra Jadeja (13th) and Kuldeep (14th) have all climbed up a spot.

Published on Dec 10, 2025