Kohli slips to No. 2 as Mitchell takes top spot in ODI rankings
Dubai, Jan 21 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Daryl Mitchell has dethroned India stalwart Virat Kohli at the top of the men’s ODI batters’ rankings after his consecutive centuries that helped New Zealand clinch a 2-1 series win against India.
With 845 ranking points, he replaces Kohli (795 points), who dropped to No. 2 on the list. The pair sit well clear of a chasing pack that includes Ibrahim Zadran, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Babar Azam.
Mitchell has now held the No.1 ODI cricket ranking for the second time, but his previous stint at the top lasted only three days last November before Rohit overtook him.
Mitchell now has four ODI centuries, just one less than AB de Villiers’ five, in the list of South African players with the most ODI centuries against India. His two back-to-back scores of over 130 not only equal Martin Guptill for the most in New Zealand’s ODI history, with four, but also highlight his rapid ascent to the top position in the ODI Batting Rankings.
Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran (third, 764 ranking points) moved ahead of former India skipper Rohit Sharma (fourth, 757), with Mitchell and Kohli ahead.
Glenn Phillips and Mitchell formed a 219-run partnership in their decisive series win in Indore, marking the second-highest in New Zealand’s ODI history. Phillips scored 106 runs off 88 balls, moving up 16 positions in the rankings 20th.
Phillips climbs 14 places to tie for 31st among ODI all-rounders, with Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai remaining at the top.
Michael Bracewell from New Zealand made a significant leap in the ODI bowling rankings, moving up six spots to 33rd after performing well in the first two matches of the India series.
The top of the bowling rankings stays the same, with Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan (710 points) still leading, ahead of England’s Jofra Archer (670 points).
Rashid climbed two places to second in the most recent T20I bowler rankings after taking two wickets for Afghanistan in the opening series match against the West Indies in Dubai.
Meanwhile, his teammate Mujeeb Ur Rahman moves up two spots to tie for 14th on this list of bowlers, while Ibrahim Zadran, also from the same team, advances five places to reach the 15th position in the latest T20I batting rankings.
