Daryl Mitchell Becomes Second New Zealand Batter Ever to Top ICC ODI Batting Rankings

New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell has overtaken Rohit Sharma to claim the number one position in the latest ICC ODI batting rankings. Mitchell is only the second New Zealand player in history to reach the summit of the ODI batting charts, following Glenn Turner who achieved the feat in 1979.

Mitchell’s rise to the top came after his match-winning century in the opening ODI against the West Indies. However, the batter was forced to sit out the rest of the series after sustaining a groin injury during his knock of 119 off 118 deliveries in that first match.

Mitchell Joins Elite Company as Only Second Kiwi Atop Rankings

Despite making his ODI debut just four years ago in 2021, Mitchell has played 56 matches for New Zealand, amassing 2,338 runs at a remarkable average of 53, including seven hundreds and 11 half-centuries. He has accomplished what legendary New Zealand batters like Ross Taylor, Stephen Fleming, Martin Guptill, and even Kane Williamson were unable to achieve.

Glenn Turner, the last New Zealand batter to hold the top ranking, played just 41 ODIs throughout his career, scoring 1,598 runs at an average of 47 with three centuries and nine fifties. While his run tally may appear modest, his average remains exceptional even by today’s standards, and the same applies to his ODI best of 171 not out, achieved back in 1979.

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Current Top 10 ODI Batters

With Mitchell now leading the rankings, former India captain Rohit Sharma has dropped to second place, followed by Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran in third. Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli round out the top five, while Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Ireland’s Harry Tector occupy the sixth and seventh positions respectively. India’s Shreyas Iyer has moved up one spot to eighth, with Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka and West Indies’ Shai Hope completing the top 10.