ICC ODI Rankings: How Did Daryl Mitchell Climb to No. 1 With a 50-Point Gap Over Virat Kohli?

New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell became the No.1 ODI batsman after scoring 352 runs in the India series, creating a 50-point lead over Virat Kohli. Rohit Sharma dropped to fourth following a below-par series performance.

New Zealand middle-order batter Daryl Mitchell dethroned former Team India captain and star batter Virat Kohli from the top in the latest ODI Men’s Batters’ Rankings, released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday, January 21. The latest ODI rankings were released after the conclusion of the three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand, in which the Kiwis scripted a historic 2-1 triumph on Indian soil.

Ahead of the second ODI in Rajkot, Virat Kohli reclaimed the No.1 ranking following his match-winning knock of 93 off 91 balls in the series opener, earning 785 rating points. He dethroned his Indian teammate Rohit Sharma, who slipped to third with 775 points, while Daryl Mitchell moved to second with 784 points.

However, Mitchell was a real threat to Kohli’s top spot in the ODI rankings, with just a single point separating them, making the battle for the No. 1 position extremely close and highlighting the Kiwis’ recent dominance over India in the series.

Mitchell Surges Past Kohli in ICC ODI Rankings

As per the latest ODI rankings released by the ICC, Daryl Mitchell won the battle for the spot after consistently performing well in the recently concluded ODI series, where he was the standout performer with 352 runs, including two centuries and a fifty, at an average of 176 and a strike rate of 110.34 in three matches.

Mitchell might have jumped to one spot for the No.1 position, but he soared past Virat Kohli in terms of rating points, opening up a massive 50-point gap at the top of the ICC ODI batters’ rankings. Team India star batter Virat Kohli slipped to second place a week after nearly five years' wait of reclaiming No.1 ODI ranking.

The former India captain currently has 795 points, an increase of 10 rating points despite slipping to second place in the ODI batters’ rankings. Kohli’s top spot in the ODI rankings was hanging in the balance as Daryl Mitchell’s performances in the first two ODI matches - 84 and 131* in Vadodara and Rajkot, respectively- put him on the brink of the No.1 spot.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma slipped to the fourth spot following his lackluster performance in the ODI series against New Zealand, where he scored 61 runs at an average of 20.33 in three matches, which significantly dented his rating points and cost him ground in the rankings. The former India captain’s rating points went from 775 to 757 points, costing him crucial ground in the ICC ODI batters’ rankings.

How Mitchell Gained a 50-Point Gap over Kohli?

The significant surge in Daryl Mitchell’s ratings points caused curiosity as the New Zealand was just 1-point t behind Virat Kohli after the second ODI. However, the middle-order batter’s second consecutive century in the series decider enabled him not only to dethrone the former India captain from the spot but also to open a substantial 50-point gap in the ICC Men’s ODI Batters’ Rankings.

The question is how one series created such a dramatic swing. Daryl and Kohli’s performances were contrary to expectations. Virat Kohli was the standout performer for Team India in the ODI series against New Zealand, with 240 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 80 in three matches, and he even earned a 10-point increase in the rating points. However, the New Zealand batter scored heavily compared to Kohli, as he went 350-run mark in aggregate in the ODI series.

Virat Kohli could have retained the top spot if he had not dismissed for 23 runs in the Rajkot ODI, the same match in which he briefly reclaimed the No. 1 position in the ODI batters’ rankings. Mitchell, on the other hand, scored two centuries and a fifty in three matches, which was a phenomenal consistency.

Another factor that led to Daryl Mitchell opening up a 50-point lead over Virat Kohli was his ability to score heavily against the highly-rated Indian bowling attack, often in challenging match and pitch conditions, and contribute to New Zealand’s victories, performances that the ICC ranking system rewards with extra points for impact and context.

Since Mitchell’s performance has an impact on both series outcome and his personal rating points, it allowed him to leapfrog Kohli and create a clear gap at the top of the ICC Men’s ODI Batters’ Rankings.