Rohit Sharma becomes oldest number one ICC ODI batter
What's the story
Rohit Sharma, the former Indian captain, has made history by becoming the oldest player to top the ICC ODI Batting Rankings. The 38-year-old opener, who jumped two places, dethroned his compatriot Shubman Gill at the summit. Rohit is coming off a successful ODI series in Australia despite India's defeat. He scored a match-winning century at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Performance review
Rohit's stellar form in Australia
Rohit had 745 rating points before the Australian tour. Despite failing in the opener, he scored 73 off 97 balls in the 2nd ODI at Adelaide Oval. He remained unbeaten on a stellar 121 off 125 balls in India's win at SCG, sharing a record stand with Virat Kohli. These performances helped him top the ICC ODI Batting Rankings, taking his total to an impressive 781.
Milestone
Rohit joins legends; Gill, Kohli drop among batters
Rohit's ascent to the top spot makes him the fifth Indian cricketer to achieve this feat, after legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Kohli, and Gill. Notably, Gill has dropped from first to third position with scores of 10, 9, and 24 in three ODIs against Australia. Meanwhile, Kohli scored 74 runs in the third ODI but dropped one place to sixth position with 725 rating points.
Information
ICC ODI Batting Rankings
ICC ODI Rankings (Top 10 batters): Rohit Sharma (781), Ibrahim Zadran (764), Shubman Gill (745), Babar Azam (739), Daryl Mitchell (734), Virat Kohli (725), Charith Asalanka (716), Harry Tector (708), Shreyas Iyer (700), and Shai Hope (690).
Records
Rohit breaks these records
Both Rohit and Kohli returned to international cricket in Australia after a hiatus. The duo has already retired from Test and T20I cricket. Rohit, who slammed his 33rd ODI ton in Sydney, became the first visiting batter to complete six ODI tons Down Under. Earlier in the game, Rohit became the second player to complete 2,500 ODI runs against Australia, joining Sachin Tendulkar (3,077).
Do you know?
Rohit surpasses Master Blaster Tendulkar
At 38 years and 182 days, Rohit is now the oldest-ever batter to reach the summit of the ICC ODI Batting Rankings. According to The Indian Express, Tendulkar is the only other player to top the ICC Rankings after turning 38 in any format.