ICC corrects Virat Kohli’s No.1 ODI ranking tally; only Richards and Lara ahead

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has corrected Virat Kohli’s tally of days spent as the No.1 batter in the ICC Men’s ODI rankings after an earlier figure caused confusion about his place on the all-time list.

Kohli returned to the top of the ODI rankings in the latest update following his match-winning 93 off 91 balls against New Zealand in Vadodara. It marked his first return to the summit since July 2021. However, the ICC’s initial communication credited Kohli with just 825 days as the No.1 ODI batter — a figure that was also reflected in a graphic showing the “most days at the top.”

The ICC has since revised that statistic, confirming that Kohli has now spent a total of 1,547 days as the No.1 ODI batter across his career.

The corrected tally makes Kohli the India batter with the most days at the top of the ODI rankings and places him third on the all-time list. Only West Indies legends Viv Richards (2,306 days) and Brian Lara (2,079 days) have spent more time as the No.1-ranked ODI batter.

The revision significantly alters Kohli’s historical standing. Under the earlier 825-day figure, he appeared outside the top tier despite repeatedly reclaiming the No.1 spot over multiple phases of his career. The updated count reflects the cumulative total of his various stints at the summit, placing him ahead of several modern greats and behind only Richards and Lara.

While the ICC has not publicly explained the discrepancy, such errors typically occur when different counting methods are used between editorial copy and visual graphics, or when outdated data is carried over into updated rankings packages.

Kohli first reached the No.1 position in October 2013 and has since reclaimed it 10 times. The corrected figure underscores not only his peak performances but also the longevity and consistency required to return to the top repeatedly across changing conditions and opposition cycles.

With the amendment now made, attention will be on ensuring all ICC rankings tables and graphics reflect the revised total going forward.