Virat Kohli jumps to second in ICC ODI rankings after SA series, closing in on Rohit Sharma while Daryl Mitchell drops a spot

Virat Kohli has climbed to second place in the latest ICC rankings for ODI batters, while Mitchell Starc has hit a career-high mark on the Test bowling list. India's Champions Trophy-winning captain Rohit Sharma is still number one in the one-day rankings.

Batting maestro Virat Kohli flexed his form to regain the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings during the three-match series against South Africa. Kohli hasn’t been ranked No.1 since April 2021, when Babar Azam took over, but his performances in this series have brought him within touching distance of reclaiming that position.

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Virat and Rohit's performance vs South Africa

Kohli was awarded Player of the Series after piling up 302 runs across the three matches, including two consecutive centuries in the first two matches and a match-winning half-century in the second. On the other hand, Rohit, who is at number one in the tally, amassed 146 runs during the series, enough for him to keep hold of the top ranking, though Kohli is now only eight rating points behind after finishing with an unbeaten 65 in the final match in Visakhapatnam.

Kohli wasn’t the only Indian player to rise this week. KL Rahul also made notable progress, moving up two spots to 12th among ODI batters. Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav jumped three places to third in the ODI bowlers’ rankings.

Apart from the Indian players, South Africa stars also improved their standings despite losing the high-scoring series 2–1. Quinton de Kock climbed three places to 13th, Aiden Markram moved up four spots to 25th, and Temba Bavuma rose three to 37th among ODI batters.

ICC ODI rankings for December 2025

Rank	Player	Country	Rating	Career Best
1	Rohit Sharma	India	781	882 v Sri Lanka at Headingley 2019
2	Virat Kohli	India	773	909 v England at Headingley 2018
3	Daryl Mitchell	New Zealand	766	782 v West Indies at Christchurch 2025
4	Ibrahim Zadran	Afghanistan	764	764 v Bangladesh at Abu Dhabi 2025
5	Shubman Gill	India	723	847 v Australia at Indore 2023
6	Babar Azam	Pakistan	722	898 v West Indies at Multan 2022
7	Harry Tector	Ireland	708	767 v Afghanistan at Sharjah 2024
8	Shai Hope	West Indies	701	802 v Bangladesh at Malahide 2019
9	Charith Asalanka	Sri Lanka	690	725 v Bangladesh at Colombo (RPS) 2025
10	Shreyas Iyer	India	679	710 v New Zealand at Mumbai 2023
11	Travis Head	Australia	653	697 v England at Trent Bridge 2024
12	KL Rahul	India	649	675 v South Africa at Gqeberha 2023
13	Quinton de Kock	South Africa	646	808 v Sri Lanka at Gqeberha 2019
14	Rachin Ravindra	New Zealand	645	652 v West Indies at Napier 2025
15	Pathum Nissanka	Sri Lanka	639	728 v Bangladesh at Chittagong 2024
16	Kusal Mendis	Sri Lanka	638	669 v Bangladesh at Pallekele 2025
17	Salman Agha	Pakistan	631	639 v Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi 2025
18	Rahmanullah Gurbaz	Afghanistan	626	686 v Bangladesh at Sharjah 2024
19	Paul Stirling	Ireland	625	698 v Netherlands at Utrecht 2021
20	Sikandar Raza	Zimbabwe	602	627 v India at Harare 2022

Rohit and Virat's upcoming outing

Rohit and Virat will now be seen in action during India's next ODI assignment against New Zealand, which will take place next year in January. With Rohit and Kohli so close in the rankings, the upcoming series will be closely watched as the two continue their battle for the No.1 position.