In a major shake-up in the world of cricket, Virat Kohli has dethroned Rohit Sharma to reclaim the number one spot in the ICC ODI rankings for batters. This marks Kohli's return to the top after a gap of nearly five years, with his last stint at the summit dating back to July 2021.
The latest rankings, released on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, see Kohli surge ahead following his impressive performances in recent matches. His crucial knock of 93 runs off 91 balls against New Zealand in the first ODI at Vadodara played a significant role in India's victory and propelled him to the top of the charts.
Kohli's recent form has been nothing short of spectacular. In his last five ODI innings, he has scores of 74 not out against Australia, followed by 135, 102, and 65 not out against South Africa, and finally the 93 against New Zealand. This consistent run of high scores has seen him leapfrog not only Rohit Sharma but also New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell, who now sits in second place, just one rating point behind Kohli. Rohit Sharma has slipped to third position in the rankings.
This is the 11th time that Kohli, now 37 years old, has reached the number one position in the ODI rankings. He first attained the top spot in October 2013. To date, he has held the number one rank for a total of 825 days, which is the most by an Indian batter and the 10th highest overall. The legendary West Indies batsman Vivian Richards holds the record for the most days at number one, with an astounding 2,306 days.
Kohli's achievement is a testament to his enduring excellence and unwavering commitment to the game. In his ODI career, he has played 309 matches and scored 14,650 runs at an average of 59, including 53 centuries. He is second on the all-time list of run-scorers in ODIs.
Rohit Sharma, while relinquishing the top spot, remains a formidable force in ODI cricket. He has played 280 ODI matches, amassing 11,542 runs at an average of 49, with 33 centuries. He also holds the record for the highest individual score in ODIs, an incredible 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014.
The battle for the top spot in the ODI rankings is likely to remain intense, with Kohli, Mitchell, and Sharma all within striking distance of each other. Other notable movements in the rankings include Shubman Gill maintaining his fifth position, and Shreyas Iyer remaining in the top 10. Among the bowlers, Mohammed Siraj has climbed five spots to 15th position. New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson has made a significant jump of 27 places to joint 69th position.
