Virat Kohli’s stint at the top of the ICC ODI batter rankings proved to be short-lived, with New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell overtaking him to claim the No.1 spot in the latest update. The two batters went head-to-head during the recently concluded three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand.
Kohli ended the series as the second-highest run-scorer, amassing 240 runs from three matches at an average of 80 and a strike rate of 105.26. Mitchell, however, outshone him with a stellar haul of 352 runs at a staggering average of 176 and a strike rate exceeding 110, highlighted by two centuries.
His outstanding form played a key role in New Zealand securing a historic 2–1 ODI series victory on Indian soil. Meanwhile, former India captain Rohit Sharma slipped one place to No.4 following a disappointing series, where he managed just 61 runs across three matches at an average of 20.33 without a single score above 30.
Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer also dropped out of the top 10, falling to No.11 after an underwhelming showing. Iyer accumulated only 60 runs at an average of 20 and a strike rate of 81.08. He was replaced in the top 10 by teammate KL Rahul, who impressed during the New Zealand ODIs by scoring 142 runs at a remarkable average of 142 and a strike rate of 119.32 across three innings.
Indian Spinners Suffer Big Drop In ICC ODI Bowler Rankings
Following an outstanding 2025 campaign, India’s premier spinner Kuldeep Yadav had a difficult start to 2026. The left-armer struggled during the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, managing just three wickets at an average of 60 while conceding runs at 7.28 per over across the series.
Kuldeep’s spin partner Ravindra Jadeja found it even tougher, finishing the series without a single wicket in three matches while going at an economy rate exceeding six. Their underwhelming performances resulted in a slide in the ICC ODI bowler rankings, with Kuldeep dropping from third to seventh, and Jadeja slipping from 21st to 25th.
There were positives for India, however, as fast bowler Mohammed Siraj moved up one place to 14th after maintaining an impressive economy rate of under 4.60 and claiming three wickets against New Zealand. Meanwhile, his pace colleague Harshit Rana enjoyed a significant rise, leaping 27 spots to enter the top 50 of the ODI bowler rankings.
Rana emerged as India’s leading wicket-taker in the series, finishing with six wickets at an average of 33.50.
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