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In a historic turn of events for international cricket, New Zealand’s middle-order powerhouse Daryl Mitchell has officially reclaimed the world No. 1 spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings. The latest update, released on January 21, 2026, sees Mitchell leapfrog Indian icon Virat Kohli following a masterclass performance in the recently concluded bilateral series in India.
The 34-year-old’s ascent is the result of an extraordinary run of form that reached its crescendo at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. While Kohli staged a valiant fight with his 54th ODI century, it was Mitchell’s dominant 137 off 131 balls that ultimately decided the series and the rankings.
🚨 NEWS ALERT 🚨
Daryl Mitchell dethrones Virat Kohli to become the ICC No.1 ODI batter ⚡✨
— betvisa68.com (@CricketTimesHQ)
Daryl Mitchell back at the summit edging past Virat Kohli after a historic series win
Mitchell’s rise to 845 rating points is anchored by a record-breaking series where he amassed 352 runs across just three matches. This tally stands as the highest ever by a New Zealander in a three-match ODI series and the third-highest in the history of the format, trailing only Babar Azam and Shubman Gill.
The Hamilton-born batter showed remarkable consistency, posting scores of 84, an unbeaten 131, and 137. His back-to-back centuries in the final two games were pivotal in New Zealand securing their first-ever bilateral ODI series win on Indian soil—a feat that had eluded the Black Caps for 37 years. Beyond the aggregate, Mitchell’s career trajectory remains an anomaly; having debuted at 28, he reached nine ODI hundreds in just 54 innings, making him the fourth-fastest player to reach that milestone. Notably, he still maintains a clean sheet in the “ducks” column, marking the second-longest streak without a zero in ODI history behind Kepler Wessels.
Also WATCH: Virat Kohli’s playful gesture steals the show after Daryl Mitchell’s ODI century in Indore
The shift in Global Rankings and India’s narrow miss
While the spotlight shines on Mitchell, the rankings shift marks a bittersweet moment for Kohli. Just a week prior, Kohli had reclaimed the top spot for the first time since 2021. Despite scoring 240 runs in the series, including a gritty 124 in the Indore decider, the chase master saw his rating settle at 795 points, dropping him to No. 2. The 50-point gap between Mitchell and Kohli highlights the sheer impact of the Kiwi’s Player of the Series performance.
The reshuffle extended beyond the top two. Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran moved up to the third spot (764 points), displacing Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who slipped to fourth (757 points) after a relatively quiet series. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips saw a meteoric rise, jumping 16 places to 20th in the batting charts after his explosive 106 in Indore. As the cricketing world pivots toward the T20 World Cup, Mitchell’s dominance in the 50-over format serves as a stern warning to rivals: the late-blooming Kiwi is no longer just a participant in the elite tier; he is currently setting the standard.
Also READ: In pics: Meet Amy Mitchell, wife of New Zealand’s ODI hero Daryl Mitchell
