Daryl Mitchell, who was picked by Chennai Super Kings for a hefty Rs 14 crore at the IPL 2024 auction, has now achieved a milestone on the international stage, becoming the first New Zealand player in 46
years to top the ICC Men's ODI Batting Rankings. The feat comes after his match-winning century in the series opener against the West Indies in Christchurch.
The 34-year-old all-rounder's composed 118-ball 119 earned him the Player of the Match award and propelled him past Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran and India's Rohit Sharma by a single rating point. Remarkably, Rohit's reign at the top lasted just 22 days before Mitchell edged ahead. The last Kiwi to hold the No.1 spot in ODIs was Glenn Turner back in 1979 - a wait of nearly half a century.
Though players like Nathan Astle, Ross Taylor, and Kane Williamson came close over the decades, none managed to break into the top spot until Mitchell's rise - a reflection of his consistency across formats.
The latest ICC update also brought good news for Pakistani players. Babar Azam's unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi lifted him to sixth, while Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman climbed to 22nd and 26th, respectively. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed broke into the top 10 for the first time, reaching ninth after his three-wicket haul, while Haris Rauf and Jayden Seales made steady gains.
In Tests, South Africa's Temba Bavuma achieved a career-best fifth position among batters following his unbeaten 55 in the Kolkata Test win over India. Off-spinner Simon Harmer jumped 20 slots to 24th after twin four-wicket hauls, while Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja climbed to career-high positions of 13th and 15th.
Elsewhere, Bangladesh's Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Mahmudul Hasan Joy rose sharply after centuries against Ireland, while in T20I rankings, New Zealand's Tim Robinson and Jacob Duffy made notable gains, with Duffy moving up to second place among bowlers.
For Mitchell, though, the newest No.1 ranking caps a remarkable turnaround - from a big-money IPL signing struggling to find rhythm at Chennai to becoming the world's leading ODI batter. And as the mini auction beckons, he maybe looking to rewrite his IPL chapter as well.
