Daryl Mitchell Overtakes Virat Kohli to Become No.1 ODI Batter, Takes Massive 50-Point Lead

Despite a late international debut at 28, Daryl Mitchell has amassed 2,690 ODI runs across 54 innings, maintaining a prolific batting average of 58.48

Daryl Mitchell Overtakes Virat Kohli to Become No.1 ODI Batter, Takes Massive 50-Point Lead

New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell overtook Virat Kohli to become the no.1 ODI batter. (via NDTV Sports)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Following India’s 1-2 home series loss to New Zealand, Virat Kohli has been displaced from the top of the ICC ODI Batting Rankings, a position he held for only a week. The new no.1 batter is Kiwi Daryl Mitchell, who was the highest run-scorer in the series and now has 845 points.

New Zealand clinched its first-ever ODI series win in India recently, driven by an exceptional batting performance from all-rounder Daryl Mitchell, who earned the POTS award. He finished as the highest run-scorer during the series amassing 352 runs at an average of 176, with two centuries and a fifty. Against India, Mitchell has now scored 741 runs, including four centuries and two fifties, in just 13 ODIs.

The Kiwi all-rounder also achieved several historical milestones, becoming the fourth-fastest cricketer to reach nine ODI centuries, accomplishing the feat in just his 54th inning. Furthermore, his four centuries against India place him second for the most ODI hundreds against the nation, behind Nathan Astle‘s five. He is also ranked second for the most ODI centuries scored by a player in India, with his four hundreds trailing only AB de Villiers‘ record of five.

Mitchell’s scores of 84, 131, and 137 against India propelled him back to the top of the ICC ODI Batting Rankings. This achievement comes two months after Rohit Sharma had replaced him at the summit in November 2025. It is the second time in his career that the New Zealand all-rounder has reached the no. 1 spot in the 50-over format, his previous tenure having lasted only three days.

The Hamilton-born player reached a career-high rating of 845 points on the ODI Rankings, a 61-point jump from his previous 784 points. Mitchell now holds a massive 50-point lead over Virat Kohli (795 points), who dropped to the no. 2 spot, a week after briefly taking the top position following a strong run of form. Despite the dip, Kohli still finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the India-New Zealand ODI series, with 240 runs in three innings at an average of 80.

Interestingly, Mitchell and Kohli stand way ahead over their rivals in the ODI Batting Rankings. Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran is in 3rd place, followed by Rohit Sharma in 4th, and Indian ODI captain Shubman Gill, completing the top five.

Former India cricketers says Virat Kohli can still deliver for India without playing domestic matches

Keeping in mind Virat Kohli’s exceptional run of form in ODIs, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif put forward a surprising suggestion. He argued that Kohli no longer needs to play domestic cricket to prove he is still at the highest level, despite not having featured regularly.

Virat Kohli Mohammad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif suggested the BCCI to exempt Virat Kohli from playing domestic cricket. (via India Today)

Having retired from two of the three formats, Kohli now focuses solely on ODIs, resulting in limited appearances each year. Despite being out of action for most of 2025, the 37-year-old batter scored 616 runs in his last seven ODI innings. During this period, he boasted a remarkable average of 123.2, which included three centuries and three half-centuries, all while scoring at a strike-rate of 108.64.

Given his form, Mohammad Kaif urged the BCCI to permit Kohli to follow his own preparation routine. On his YouTube channel, he pointed out that the right-hander, returns only to score runs and then go back to London. The ex-India batter firmly believes that Kohli no longer needs to participate in domestic cricket, considering his unparalleled passion and consistent performance for India.

There is no need for him to play domestic cricket now. Anyone can get match practice, but the passion he has is not available in any market. Where will you get that from? Virat will single-handedly win against 10 players standing in front of him too.

Mohammad Kaif called on the BCCI to exempt Kohli from the rule requiring every Team India player to participate in at least two domestic games annually. However, the Delhi batsman did return to play in the 2025-26 VHT, where he recorded a century and a fifty in only two appearances.

Also Read: