Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 131 led New Zealand to a seven-wicket win over India, leveling the series. Backed by 84 in the opener, the knock pushed him to second in ICC ODI rankings, just one point behind Virat Kohli, intensifying the No.1 battle.
New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell performed outstandingly in the visitors’ seven-wicket win over Team India in the second ODI of the three-match series at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday, January 14.
With a 285-run target by Team India, New Zealand chased it down with 15 balls to spare, leveling the series 1-1. Daryl Mitchell led the Kiwis’ run chase with a brilliant unbeaten knock of 131 off 117 balls, including 11 fours and two sixes, at a strike rate of 111.97 to help the side cruise past the target comfortably and keep the series alive. His crucial 162-run stand for the third wicket with Will Young, who scored 87 off 98 balls, revived New Zealand’s batting from 46/2 to 208/3.
For India, the bowlers consistently struggled to apply pressure or pick wickets in the middle overs, allowing Mitchell and Young to settle in and dictate the chase without any major resistance. Prasidh Krishna (1/49), Harshit Rana (1/52), and Kuldeep Yadav (1/82) picked a wicket each, while other bowlers, including Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, went wicketless, failing to break the momentum.
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Daryll Mitchell Gets ODI Ranking Boost Ahead of 2nd ODI
Ahead of the second ODI at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, Daryll Mitchell received a boost in the ODI Batters Rankings. The New Zealand batter moved to the second spot with a rating of 784 points, while former India captain and star batter Rohit Sharma slipped to third position from second place with a rating of 775 points.
However, Virat Kohli regained the top spot in the ODI rankings after nearly five years, dethroning his Indian teammate Rohit, claiming the No.1 position with 785 rating points. Kohli was in second place in December 2025 with 773 points, just 8 points short of Rohit Sharma, who led the ICC ODI Batters rankings with 781 points. However, a match-winning knock in the first ODI against New Zealand propelled Kohli back to the No.1 ODI Battings Rankings.
Daryll Mitchell, on the other hand, was at the No.3 position with 766 rating points. Following his 84-run knock in the ODI series opener against Team India, the veteran New Zealand batter climbed to second spot, narrowing the gap with Virat Kohli and intensifying the race for the No.1 ODI ranking.
The battle for the No.1 spot in the ODI Batters’ Rankings is quite intense as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Daryll Mitchell are currently featuring in the ongoing ODI series between India and New Zealand, with all three batters directly involved in the contest for the top positions in the ICC ODI Batters’ Rankings.
Daryll Mitchell Poses a Threat to Virat Kohli’s No.1 ODI Ranking
The rankings are often calculated either at the end of the series or updated after each match based on individual performances and points gained or lost. Team India’s Virat Kohli and New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell have only a point difference from each other, with Kohli on 785 and Mitchell on 784 in the latest ICC ODI Batters’ Rankings.
However, Mitchell’s match-winning 131-run knock has now posed a serious threat to dethroning Virat Kohli from the spot. Former Team India captain’s impressive run of form came to an end after he was dismissed for 23 in the Rajkot ODI. With his dismissal, Kohli's quest to break the joint record for the most consecutive 50+ scores in the ODI, alongside Sachin Tendulkar.
After a run of two and four fifties, Virat Kohli was dismissed cheaply in the second ODI against New Zealand. Daryll Mitchell, on the other hand, backed up his 84-run knock from the series opener with a brilliant unbeaten 131 in the Rajkot ODI, jumping him to the second spot in the Batters’ Rankings and posing a real threat to Virat Kohli’s No.1 spot.
The Rajkot ODI witnessed two different narratives unfolding simultaneously, with Kohli’s prolific coming to a halt, while Mitchell’s twin knocks of 84 and 131 showcased his rise, intensifying the batter's hopes for the No.1 spot. The current scenario is that Virat Kohli needs to come up with a brilliant performance in the third and final ODI in Indore to retain the top spot.
However, Daryll Mitchell’s consistent performances, including his twin knocks of 84 and 131 in the first two ODIs of the ongoing series against Team India, mean that Virat Kohli cannot afford another low score if he wants to maintain his No.1 ODI ranking going into the final ODI in Indore. It remains to be seen how the battle for the No.1 spot unfolded at the end of the ongoing ODI series between India and New Zealand.
