Former India captain and star opener Rohit Sharma became the No. 1 ranked batter in One-Day Internationals in the latest rankings update by the International Cricket
Council (ICC). The 38-year-old jumped one spot up from his second spot up until the update on Wednesday, October 29. Additionally, India skipper and Rohit's opening partner is now down to the third, while Ibrahim Zadran from Afghanistan is the newest No. 2.
Rohit achieved the milestone for the first time in his ODI career, which started in 2007. After a successful, Player of the Series-winning performance in the recently-concluded series in Australia, Rohit's performances have been rewarded, as he now holds the top position with an impressive rating of 781. He ended the series with 202 runs in three games, including an unbeaten century in the third ODI.
Meanwhile, ace batter Virat Kohli, too, had a 74 not-out in the Sydney encounter, but consecutive ducks in Perth and Adelaide games may have affected his overall rankings, as he has now slipped to the sixth spot, while New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell took over Virat's fifth. Babar Azam from Pakistan has retained his fourth position.
Latest ICC ODI Batters Rankings (Men)
| Rank | Name | Team | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | India | 781 |
| 2 | Ibrahim Zadran | Afghanistan | 764 |
| 3 | Shubman Gill | India | 745 |
| 4 | Babar Azam | Pakistan | 739 |
| 5 | Daryl Mitchell | New Zealand | 734 |
| 6 | Virat Kohli | India | 725 |
| 7 | Charith Asalanka | Sri Lanka | 716 |
| 8 | Harry Tector | Ireland | 708 |
| 9 | Shreyas Iyer | India | 700 |
| 10 | Shai Hope | West Indies | 690 |
"You expect tough conditions in Australia. Quality bowlers. Gotta understand things and try your best. Haven't played for a long time, good prep. Slightly confident coming in. We couldn't win the series - will still take a lot of positives. Young side, there will be a lot of learnings for them. When I came into the squad, I remember how seniors helped us, it's now our job to do the same," Rohit said after the third ODI in Sydney.
"Never easy playing in Australia, just abroad. We need to share our experience, help them create game plans. I still go back to basics in Australia all these years. It's something I need to pass on. I love playing in Australia in general. I've had a decent memory in SCG - great pitch, ground and crowd. I love doing what I do and hope to continue to do that," Rohit concluded.
Rohit is expected to be a part of India's upcoming ODI assignment against South Africa, starting November 30 in Rajkot.
