Virat Kohli spent 1547 days at no.1 ranked ODI batter, instead of 825 days previously claimed by ICC.
For the first time in almost five years, Virat Kohli has risen to the top of the ICC ODI rankings thanks to his incredible recent form. In his last six games, the 37-year-old has scored five runs of fifty or more, including two hundreds.
After his game-winning 93 off 91 balls against New Zealand in Vadodara, Kohli ended a stretch away from the top spot that had persisted since July 2021 and returned to the top spot in the most recent ODI rankings update.
According to the ICC's original graphic, Kohli had been the top-ranked men's ODI batter for 825 days over his career, placing him 10th on the list of cricket players with the most days as the top-ranked ODI batter.
However, ICC's mistake was pointed out by several netizens, and eventually it was amended.
However, this seemed to be a clear mistake because Kohli has held the top rank for 1,547 days, according to a number of earlier ICC publications. The ICC eventually removed the social media post and reaffirmed that Kohli had, in fact, been the top ODI batsman for 1,547 days.
According to the latest statistics, Kohli is the Indian batter who has spent the most time at the top of the ODI rankings, and he is third all-time. Only West Indies legends Viv Richards (2,306 days) and Brian Lara (2,079 days) have spent more time as the top ODI batter.
The update also demonstrates how a minor numerical error can quickly shift the narrative in the rankings age, where "days at No.1" has become a shorthand for persistent supremacy. For Kohli, that number now represents not only peak brilliance, but also the remarkable endurance required to return to the summit again and over again, despite changing conditions, formats, and opposition cycles.
Active in only one format now, Kohli had made seven scores of 50 or more across ODI and domestic List A cricket until the second match against New Zealand on Wednesday.