In a stunning turn of events, Virat Kohli's relentless pursuit of reclaiming the coveted title of the No.1 ranked ODI player in the world has gained substantial momentum after his exceptional performance in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
The Indian cricket maestro, amassing a tournament-best 765 runs, has elevated one spot to secure the third position in the latest MRF Tyres ODI Player Rankings, trailing his teammate Shubman Gill by a mere 35 rating points.
Gill, boasting 826 rating points, manages to hold a slim lead at the summit of the batter rankings, closely trailed by Pakistan's skipper Babar Azam at 824. However, Kohli, with an impressive 791 rating points, is in hot pursuit, with India's captain Rohit Sharma not far behind at the fourth spot, amassing 769 rating points.
Kohli's extraordinary feat in the World Cup, where he registered three centuries, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most ODI centuries, has set the stage for a riveting battle for the top-ranking position. Rohit Sharma, Kohli's formidable partner during the tournament, contributed significantly with 597 runs, securing the second-highest run-scorer position.
With a previous stint of holding the No.1 ranking for an imposing 1258 consecutive days between 2017 and 2021, Kohli remains resolute in reclaiming his throne. The surge of this dynamic Indian duo has led to South Africa's Quinton de Kock slipping to the fifth position, while New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell ascends to sixth after his noteworthy 552 runs at the World Cup.
In an unexpected turn, Australia's Travis Head makes waves by catapulting 28 places to the 15th position overall in the ODI batter rankings, courtesy of his outstanding century and Player of the Match performance in the World Cup final.
While South Africa's Keshav Maharaj maintains his stronghold at the summit of the ODI bowler rankings, the Australian bowling unit witnesses notable advancements. Josh Hazlewood rises to second place, Mitchell Starc surges eight spots to 12th, and skipper Pat Cummins climbs seven places to 27th.
Within the top 10 ODI bowlers, India's Mohammed Siraj stands firm at the third position, Jasprit Bumrah holds the fourth spot, and Kuldeep Yadav, though slipping slightly, maintains the joint sixth position.
As the dust settles post the World Cup spectacle, Kohli's resurgence adds an exhilarating layer to the ODI rankings, promising cricket enthusiasts an enthralling battle for supremacy in the upcoming matches.
