Virat Kohli’s prolific return against South Africa has lifted him to second in the ICC men’s ODI batting standings, just eight rating points behind India captain Rohit Sharma. The updated table, released on Wednesday, reflects Kohli’s 302 runs at an average of 151 – a series that featured back-to-back hundreds in Johannesburg and Centurion before an unbeaten 65 in the decider.
“Numbers matter less than winning games for India, but it’s always nice to contribute,” Kohli said after collecting the Player-of-the-Series medal. The figures, nonetheless, are telling: Rohit remains top on 781 points, with Kohli now on 773.
KL Rahul also enjoyed a gentle climb – two places to 12th – thanks to scores of 60 and 66 not out while deputising for Rohit. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, whose nine wickets were the most in the three-match contest, has moved up to third on the ODI bowling list. Rahul Dravid, India’s head coach, noted: “Kuldeep’s accuracy has gone up a notch; the variation’s always been there.”
South Africa leave with the consolation of Dewald Brevis joining the T20I top ten. The 22-year-old jumped three spots to eighth after a brisk 22 in Durban, underscoring his growing white-ball reputation.
Across the Indian Ocean, Mitchell Starc has turned an already fiery Ashes series in Australia’s favour. Eighteen wickets in two Tests – at a miserly average of 14 – have propelled the left-arm quick from sixth to third in the Test bowling rankings, his career best. “I’m just landing it where Pat [Cummins] wants one more time than not,” Starc joked on host broadcaster Channel Seven. The numbers back him up: 852 rating points and counting.
The batting chart is still headed by Joe Root, whose unbeaten 138 at the Gabba was his first Test hundred on Australian soil. Kane Williamson’s tidy 52 against West Indies in Christchurch nudged him ahead of Steven Smith into second, though Smith’s own 61 in Adelaide keeps him within striking distance.
Full tables are available on the ICC website, but the headlines are straightforward: Kohli is in hot pursuit of Rohit, Starc is peaking at the right time, and the established names at the top remain stubbornly hard to dislodge.
