Rohit Sharma Creates History at 38, Becomes World No.1 ODI Batsman in Latest ICC Rankings Update
At the age of 38, wearing his new world No.1 hat, Rohit Sharma has entered history books of this latest ICC ODI rankings update. The Indian opening batsman dethroned his teammate and ODI captain Shubman Gill to regain the number 1 spot after a strong showing at the recently concluded three-match series against Australia.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) October 29: India's Rohit Sharma has been rewarded for his scintillating form across formats as the right-handed batsman has become World’s number one ODI batsman for the first time in his career. The former India captain climbed to the top of the ICC Men’s ODI Batter Rankings earlier this week on Wednesday and did so at 38 years and 182 days, an age unheard of for any cricketer to have hit the heights.
Rohit’s sensational efforts take him past Afghanistan stroke-maker Ibrahim Zadran and India teammate Shubman Gill to the top of the rankings for batters in one-day international cricket for his first time at the helm, although he has never finished outside the world’s top 20 over the last decade.
Outstanding Form Against Australia
Rohit's promotion to the top has been fuelled by a fantastic run of form in the just-concluded three-match ODI series versus Australia as he hit 202 runs at an average over 101.
His previous best in the career was no. 2 during the World Cup, which he ended with a record five centuries and at its peak reached 882 rating points, it only makes Rohit’s rise all the more stunning.
Axar Patel Also Climbs in Bowler and All-Rounder Rankings
The former India captain was not the only Indian to inch forward in the latest rankings. There were also gains for Axar Patel as he moved up in both bowler and all-rounder lists after an impressive performance in Sydney – who rose six places to 31st among ODI bowlers and also four spots to eighth among ODI all-rounders.
Back in ODIs, Rohit is now on top of the chart with 781 rating points ahead of Zadran (764) and Gill (745).
Dominant Performances
Rohit had 745 points last week but made considerable progress after contributing 73 (97) in the first innings in Adelaide and an unbeaten 121 (125) in Sydney. Those authoritative knocks lifted him to 781 points — the highest in his career.
Leading India to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rohit has now become only the fifth Indian cricketer – after Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill – in history to achieve the No. 1 ODI batting ranking.
