Daryl Mitchell’s remarkable rise to the top of the ODI batting rankings has been sealed in the most fitting manner, by outperforming Virat Kohli on Indian soil and playing a key role in New Zealand’s historic series win. Mitchell’s ninth ODI century, scored in the series decider in Indore, not only secured a rare triumph for the Black Caps but also crowned him as the world’s best ODI batter.
Mitchell’s 137 off 131 balls was the cornerstone of New Zealand’s chase, while Kohli’s 124 provided the last real hope for India. When Mitchell completed the quick single that took him to three figures, he became the fourth-fastest male batter in history to reach nine ODI hundreds, achieving the milestone in just 54 innings. His performance also made him the second player to reach such heights while averaging consistency and longevity, with no ODI duck in 54 innings, a streak second only to Kepler Wessels.
Across the three-match series, Mitchell amassed 352 runs, the highest ever by a New Zealander in a three-match ODI series, and the third-highest overall behind Babar Azam and Shubman Gill. His back-to-back centuries of 130+ also matched Martin Guptill’s record for the most 130-plus ODI scores by a New Zealand batter. This form and consistency earned Mitchell 845 ICC ranking points, propelling him above Kohli, who drops to No.2 with 795 points.
Mitchell’s journey to the top is a story of late-blooming perseverance. He debuted internationally at 28, played his first Test at 29, and made his ODI debut only at 30, a rare path to elite cricket. Yet, his determination and adaptability have turned him into one of the world’s most reliable batters, proving that talent combined with patience can rewrite cricketing history.
While Mitchell’s rise grabs the headlines, the latest rankings also show notable movement across the board. Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran climbs to third, swapping places with India’s Rohit Sharma. New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips rises 16 places to 20th after a match-winning 106 in Indore, while Michael Bracewell moves up six spots in the bowling rankings. Rashid Khan remains the top-ranked ODI bowler, continuing his dominance with 710 points.
As Mitchell basks in his well-deserved No.1 status, his ascent serves as a powerful reminder that perseverance can lead to greatness, and that, sometimes, the best stories in cricket are written later than expected.
