Kohli reclaims ODI crown post five-year wait

Star India batter Virat Kohli has returned to the summit of world cricket after nearly five years, reclaiming the No.1 spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Batters’ Rankings following his commanding 93 against New Zealand in the series opener at Vadodara on Sunday.Kohli now tops the ODI rankings with 785 rating points, edging past New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell by a solitary point. It marks the first time since July 2021 that the former India captain has occupied the coveted top spot, underlining a remarkable resurgence in his 50-over career.The latest ascent is Kohli’s 11th separate stint as the world’s top-ranked ODI batter. Since first climbing to No.1 in October 2013, he has spent a cumulative 825 days at the summit — the most by any Indian and the 10th highest overall in the history of the rankings, according to the ICC.Kohli’s return to the top has been powered by an extraordinary run of form. He has crossed fifty in each of his last seven ODI innings, with scores of 93, 77, 131, 65, 102, 135 and 74, showcasing a blend of control, intensity and vintage authority.In the 2025 calendar year, Kohli amassed 651 runs in 13 ODIs at a staggering average of 65.10, finishing as India’s leading run-scorer. He also played a pivotal role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph, scoring 218 runs in five matches at an average of 54.50, including a century and a half-century.His 93 against New Zealand not only earned him the Player of the Match award but also reinforced his reputation as the game’s greatest chaser. Kohli now boasts 1,091 runs in successful ODI chases of 300-plus targets, averaging an astonishing 121.22 with a strike rate of 125.25, including seven hundreds.The knock was also historic. Kohli became the fastest player to reach 28,000 international runs across formats and the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket history, behind only Sachin Tendulkar. He now has 28,068 runs across Tests, ODIs and T20Is. (With inputs from ANI)