Virat Kohli’s latest hundred has nudged him into fourth place in the ICC’s ODI batting rankings, while Pakistan’s Saim Ayub is back at No.1 among T20I all-rounders after a tidy showing in Rawalpindi.
The headline numbers come straight from the new ICC update published on Tuesday. Kohli, now on 751 points, is 32 behind team-mate Rohit Sharma, who keeps the lead. Ayub’s rise is slightly sharper: his all-round effort in the tri-series final – 1 for 17 and a 33-ball 36 against Sri Lanka – moves him above Sikandar Raza, who had taken over the top slot only last month.
“I just tried to keep things simple,” Ayub told the host broadcaster. “Bowling into the pitch worked early on, then I backed myself with the bat.” Nothing flashy, but enough to swing the rankings needle.
Key movers at a glance
• ODI batters: Kohli 5→4
• ODI bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav 8→6
• T20I bowlers: Abrar Ahmed 6→4
• Test bowlers: Marco Jansen 8→5
• Test all-rounders: Jansen 6→2
South Africa’s trip to India has done Marco Jansen no harm at all. Twelve wickets across two Tests push him to fifth among Test bowlers and, perhaps more eye-catching, second in the all-rounder list. “He’s learning very quickly about bowling in the subcontinent,” Proteas captain Temba Bavuma said. Simon Harmer, with 17 wickets, jumps 13 places to 11th.
India’s spin depth gets another small pat on the back: Kuldeep Yadav is up two spots to sixth in the ODI bowling charts. Over in T20Is, leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed—quietly consistent through the year—climbs to fourth, still looking up at the current No.1, India’s Varun Chakravarthy.
Context, not hype
Kohli’s 52nd ODI century, 135 from 120 balls in Ranchi, proved decisive in a 17-run win over South Africa and keeps India’s top order in healthy shape ahead of next year’s Champions Trophy. For all the chatter about his strike-rate, the rankings reward weight of runs, and Kohli keeps stacking them.
Ayub’s return to the summit underlines how tight the T20I all-rounder list can be. Raza, Mohammad Nabi and Shakib Al Hasan remain within touching distance, and a single series could shuffle the deck again.
The next update arrives after Pakistan’s three T20Is in Auckland later this month. Given the recent movement, expect more changes – just maybe not at the very top.
