Veteran Indian batter Rohit Sharma has created history by becoming the No. 1 ranked ODI batter in the world for the very first time in his illustrious career. The latest ICC men’s ODI batter rankings saw Rohit rise two spots to claim the top position, overtaking Afghanistan batter Ibrahim Zadran and India teammate Shubman Gill. Indian great Sachin Tendulkar is the only batter to reach the top spot after 38, having accomplished the record back in 2011 in Test format.
The achievement comes on the back of Rohit’s superb unbeaten century in the third and final ODI against Australia in Sydney, where he guided India to a dominant nine-wicket victory.
Chasing a target of 237, Rohit led from the front, showing his trademark hitting ability, as he smashed 13 fours and three towering sixes, finishing unbeaten on a majestic 121 off 125 balls. Rohit also became the oldest cricketer to reach the milestone at 38 years and 182 days. Axar Patel moved six places to 31st in the ODI bowling rankings. Patel also jumped four spots to eighth in the all-rounder list.
Virat Kohli, who registered two consecutive ducks in the first two matches of the ODI series against Australia, finished the series with an unbeaten 74-run knock. Kohli maintained his sixth position with 725 points. England's white-ball captain Harry Brook also made a significant gain, climbing 23 places to 25th in the ODI batting rankings.