It took only about 7 hours to change the ICC ODI rankings for the batters. During the initial stage of India vs New Zealand 2nd ODI, Virat Kohli was the number 1 batter surpassing Rohit Sharma. But after the match, the scenario has changed. Virat Kohli is no more the number 1 batter in the rankings.
Star batsman Daryl Mitchell became New Zealand’s savior in the second ODI against India at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot . New Zealand were set a target of 285 runs, and Daryl Mitchell played a brilliant innings in this chase. He reached his century off 96 balls, putting the team in a strong position. This was his eighth ODI century. Daryl Mitchell enjoys playing against India and scores runs against this team every time. This was the same this time too.
New Zealand batter is top of the rankings
Daryl Mitchell ‘s innings came at a crucial juncture. New Zealand needed to win this match to stay in the series, so Daryl Mitchell delivered a remarkable performance. He surpassed Virat Kohli in one key aspect. Just before the match, the ICC released the latest ODI batting rankings, in which Virat Kohli reached No. 1 with 785 rating points. Meanwhile, Daryl Mitchell was in second place with 784 points, a difference of just 1 point. But in Rajkot, Virat Kohli managed just 23 runs. An inside edge from Clarke uprooted the stumps, resulting in Virat’s dismissal.
This gave Mitchell the opportunity, and his century vaulted him past Virat. Mitchell has now virtually become the No. 1 batsman. However, the next rankings update will be on Wednesday, and Virat will have a chance to return in the third match. Daryl Mitchell has an impressive record against Team India in India . This is his fourth consecutive ODI score of 50+ runs against India.
He also scored 84 runs in the previous match, but New Zealand lost. Prior to that, he had scored 134 and 130 runs. This means he has scored 3 centuries and 1 half-century against India in his last 4 innings.