When Australia and England locked horns to play the first-ever ODI back in 1971, little did anyone imagine the changes this format was going to bring to popularize the sport. It brought in audaciousness, aggressive intent, innovation and most importantly, the game had become less-gentlemanly ever since.

Nevertheless, whatever has happened, it has done good to the sport in terms of improving its image globally. Batsmen’s approach in this format took some time to change, but once it did, it impacted the whole game significantly. It is really difficult for them to stay at the top with the competition being so cut-throat, yet some of them managed to stay on top for a time longer than most.

Here are 5 batsmen who ruled the No.1 ODI ranking for many years

<img class="size-full wp-image-349686" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_365238.jpg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-349686" class="wp-caption-text">Brian Lara. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption>

The <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/west-indies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Windies</strong></a> legend, a batting maestro – Brian Lara was quintessentially Caribbean with his batting technique. A little unorthodox touch adding to some classy wristy strokes made him so attractive to watch, not one could blink an eye. Not many could match his aura while he was in the middle and without a shadow of a doubt, he is one of the greatest cricketers of all time.

Henceforth, it is fitting that Lara ruled the ODI rankings for a considerable amount of time. Lara claimed the ODI top rank for the first time in February 1993, right after the 5-match ODI series against Pakistan where he smashed 224 runs. He finished that year as the world's number one and continued to remain on top.

Talking about ruling the rankings, he was there on top of the rankings for the next four years till November 1998 despite facing stiff competition from the likes of Steve Waugh, Sachin Tendulkar and Graeme Hick. It took a monumental effort from the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in Sharjah in 1998 to dethrone the great man from the rankings.

2. Sir Vivian Richards – 1981, 1984-1987

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1687690061707_Viv-Richards.jpeg" alt="Viv Richards" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Viv Richards. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The man who changed the face of aggressive batting, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/dean-jones-recalls-the-historic-madras-test-after-viv-richards-suffers-from-dehydration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Sir Vivian Richards</strong></a> is still rated by many as the greatest entertainer the game has ever seen. The man who personified swagger even before the term was coined, Richards was the poster boy of Windies cricket for a time longer than most.

Richards took the number one spot in ODIs for the first time, dethroning Greg Chappell’s astronomic streak in January 1981. Zaheer Abbas took over briefly, but he regained the top spot soon and then started the Richards era of batting dominance. From 1984 to 1987, he finished on top for four consecutive calendar years.

Richards reached a career-high rating of 935 in 1985, which is the best rating till date for any batsman in ODI history. No one cam remotely close to gaining his position despite the likes of David Gower, Javed Miandad and Alan Lamb staying in contention.

<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1687690118238_Michael-Bevan.jpeg" alt="Michael Bevan" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Michael Bevan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

One of the greatest finishers the game has seen, Michael Bevan was an undisputed champion in the middle order for Australia under Steve Waugh. In the time which marked the commencement of the “Mighty Aussies” era, the southpaw was a sensational presence in the middle order.

Bevan topped the ICC rankings for the first time in January 1999, right after the Carlton &amp; United Tri-series which also included England and Sri Lanka, snatching the spot from Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar came back to reclaim the position in June 2002. A dip in form for Bevan saw even Sanath Jayasuriya take the spot briefly, but Bevan was back on top before the year ended.

For three consecutive years from 1999 to 2002, he finished the calendar year as number one ranked batsman. In 232 ODIs for the Aussies, Bevan scored just under 7,000 runs (6,912 runs) in his career. He had an outstanding average of 53.58 and despite struggling to make his presence felt in the Test format, he was an absolute legend for them in the ODIs.

4. AB de Villiers – 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017

<img class="size-full wp-image-355329" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_351647.jpg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-355329" class="wp-caption-text">AB de Villiers. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)</figcaption>

A man who knew no boundaries to his creativity, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rohit-sharma-names-ab-de-villiers-as-his-favourite-cricketer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>AB de Villiers</strong></a> was a phenomenon like no other in cricket history. The great man from South Africa retired in 2018 from all formats of the game, but not before leaving an everlasting legacy. He captained the side in the 2015 World Cup, where they lost in the semifinals to eventual runners New Zealand.

The year 2013 saw three of the greatest batsmen of all time juggle with the top spot each month. Despite Hashim Amla and Virat Kohli’s brilliance, AB de Villiers marched on and took the top spot for the first time in December 2013. Virat Kohli hit back almost immediately, but the South African once again was back on top in August 2014.

He was on top for the whole of 2015 and 2016, also claiming a career-high rating 902, which is the best for a South African. He finished four consecutive calendar years from 2013 to 2016 as the number one batsman and remained on top till June 2017, which was pretty significant considering the quality of batsmanship in this period.

5. Virat Kohli – 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019

<img class="size-full wp-image-358423" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_342794.jpg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-358423" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)</figcaption>

A modern-day legend who is already hailed as the greatest ODI batsman of the century, Virat Kohli still has some fantastic years left in him to keep topping these charts. Already past the 11,000 mark in ODIs, he is chasing the all-time records which are currently in possession of his idol Sachin Tendulkar.

In December 2013, Virat Kohli became the third batsman after MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar to claim the top spot among Indians. His rival-friend AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and David Warner kept challenging for the throne and all the players kept juggling with the position for the next three years.

After Hashim Amla’s form dipped and AB de Villiers started to miss matches due to injuries and eventually retired, Kohli’s position on top was never challenged. Kohli has remained on top of the rankings since June 2017 despite some tough challenge coming from his vice-captain Rohit Sharma. He also reached a career-high rating of 911 in 2018, which is also the 6th best rating of all time.

<strong>Honorable mentions:</strong> Dean Jones, Sachin Tendulkar, Keith Fletcher, Hashim Amla, Virat Kohli

Brian Lara, Viv Richards and Michael Bevan

<p>When Australia and England locked horns to play the first-ever ODI back in 1971, little did anyone imagine the changes this format was going to bring to popularize the sport. It brought in audaciousness, aggressive intent, innovation and most importantly, the game had become less-gentlemanly ever since.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, whatever has happened, it has done good to the sport in terms of improving its image globally. Batsmen’s approach in this format took some time to change, but once it did, it impacted the whole game significantly. It is really difficult for them to stay at the top with the competition being so cut-throat, yet some of them managed to stay on top for a time longer than most.</p>
<h3>Here are 5 batsmen who ruled the No.1 ODI ranking for many years</h3>
<h3>1. Brian Lara – 1993 to 1998</h3>
<figure id="attachment_349686" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-349686" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-349686" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_365238.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-349686" class="wp-caption-text">Brian Lara. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/west-indies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Windies</strong></a> legend, a batting maestro – Brian Lara was quintessentially Caribbean with his batting technique. A little unorthodox touch adding to some classy wristy strokes made him so attractive to watch, not one could blink an eye. Not many could match his aura while he was in the middle and without a shadow of a doubt, he is one of the greatest cricketers of all time.</p>
<p>Henceforth, it is fitting that Lara ruled the ODI rankings for a considerable amount of time. Lara claimed the ODI top rank for the first time in February 1993, right after the 5-match ODI series against Pakistan where he smashed 224 runs. He finished that year as the world's number one and continued to remain on top.</p>
<p>Talking about ruling the rankings, he was there on top of the rankings for the next four years till November 1998 despite facing stiff competition from the likes of Steve Waugh, Sachin Tendulkar and Graeme Hick. It took a monumental effort from the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in Sharjah in 1998 to dethrone the great man from the rankings.</p>
<h3>2. Sir Vivian Richards – 1981, 1984-1987</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1687690061707_Viv-Richards.jpeg" alt="Viv Richards" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Viv Richards. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The man who changed the face of aggressive batting, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/dean-jones-recalls-the-historic-madras-test-after-viv-richards-suffers-from-dehydration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Sir Vivian Richards</strong></a> is still rated by many as the greatest entertainer the game has ever seen. The man who personified swagger even before the term was coined, Richards was the poster boy of Windies cricket for a time longer than most.</p>
<p>Richards took the number one spot in ODIs for the first time, dethroning Greg Chappell’s astronomic streak in January 1981. Zaheer Abbas took over briefly, but he regained the top spot soon and then started the Richards era of batting dominance. From 1984 to 1987, he finished on top for four consecutive calendar years.</p>
<p>Richards reached a career-high rating of 935 in 1985, which is the best rating till date for any batsman in ODI history. No one cam remotely close to gaining his position despite the likes of David Gower, Javed Miandad and Alan Lamb staying in contention.</p>
<h3>3. Michael Bevan – 1999 to 2002</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1687690118238_Michael-Bevan.jpeg" alt="Michael Bevan" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Michael Bevan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the greatest finishers the game has seen, Michael Bevan was an undisputed champion in the middle order for Australia under Steve Waugh. In the time which marked the commencement of the “Mighty Aussies” era, the southpaw was a sensational presence in the middle order.</p>
<p>Bevan topped the ICC rankings for the first time in January 1999, right after the Carlton &amp; United Tri-series which also included England and Sri Lanka, snatching the spot from Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar came back to reclaim the position in June 2002. A dip in form for Bevan saw even Sanath Jayasuriya take the spot briefly, but Bevan was back on top before the year ended.</p>
<p>For three consecutive years from 1999 to 2002, he finished the calendar year as number one ranked batsman. In 232 ODIs for the Aussies, Bevan scored just under 7,000 runs (6,912 runs) in his career. He had an outstanding average of 53.58 and despite struggling to make his presence felt in the Test format, he was an absolute legend for them in the ODIs.</p>
<h3>4. AB de Villiers – 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017</h3>
<figure id="attachment_355329" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-355329" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-355329" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_351647.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-355329" class="wp-caption-text">AB de Villiers. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A man who knew no boundaries to his creativity, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rohit-sharma-names-ab-de-villiers-as-his-favourite-cricketer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>AB de Villiers</strong></a> was a phenomenon like no other in cricket history. The great man from South Africa retired in 2018 from all formats of the game, but not before leaving an everlasting legacy. He captained the side in the 2015 World Cup, where they lost in the semifinals to eventual runners New Zealand.</p>
<p>The year 2013 saw three of the greatest batsmen of all time juggle with the top spot each month. Despite Hashim Amla and Virat Kohli’s brilliance, AB de Villiers marched on and took the top spot for the first time in December 2013. Virat Kohli hit back almost immediately, but the South African once again was back on top in August 2014.</p>
<p>He was on top for the whole of 2015 and 2016, also claiming a career-high rating 902, which is the best for a South African. He finished four consecutive calendar years from 2013 to 2016 as the number one batsman and remained on top till June 2017, which was pretty significant considering the quality of batsmanship in this period.</p>
<h3>5. Virat Kohli – 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019</h3>
<figure id="attachment_358423" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358423" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-358423" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_342794.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-358423" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A modern-day legend who is already hailed as the greatest ODI batsman of the century, Virat Kohli still has some fantastic years left in him to keep topping these charts. Already past the 11,000 mark in ODIs, he is chasing the all-time records which are currently in possession of his idol Sachin Tendulkar.</p>
<p>In December 2013, Virat Kohli became the third batsman after MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar to claim the top spot among Indians. His rival-friend AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and David Warner kept challenging for the throne and all the players kept juggling with the position for the next three years.</p>
<p>After Hashim Amla’s form dipped and AB de Villiers started to miss matches due to injuries and eventually retired, Kohli’s position on top was never challenged. Kohli has remained on top of the rankings since June 2017 despite some tough challenge coming from his vice-captain Rohit Sharma. He also reached a career-high rating of 911 in 2018, which is also the 6th best rating of all time.</p>
<p><strong>Honorable mentions:</strong> Dean Jones, Sachin Tendulkar, Keith Fletcher, Hashim Amla, Virat Kohli</p>

<p>When Australia and England locked horns to play the first-ever ODI back in 1971, little did anyone imagine the changes this format was going to bring to popularize the sport. It brought in audaciousness, aggressive intent, innovation and most importantly, the game had become less-gentlemanly ever since.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, whatever has happened, it has done good to the sport in terms of improving its image globally. Batsmen’s approach in this format took some time to change, but once it did, it impacted the whole game significantly. It is really difficult for them to stay at the top with the competition being so cut-throat, yet some of them managed to stay on top for a time longer than most.</p>
<h3>Here are 5 batsmen who ruled the No.1 ODI ranking for many years</h3>
<h3>1. Brian Lara – 1993 to 1998</h3>
<figure id="attachment_349686" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-349686" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-349686" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_365238.jpg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-349686" class="wp-caption-text">Brian Lara. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/west-indies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Windies</strong></a> legend, a batting maestro – Brian Lara was quintessentially Caribbean with his batting technique. A little unorthodox touch adding to some classy wristy strokes made him so attractive to watch, not one could blink an eye. Not many could match his aura while he was in the middle and without a shadow of a doubt, he is one of the greatest cricketers of all time.</p>
<p>Henceforth, it is fitting that Lara ruled the ODI rankings for a considerable amount of time. Lara claimed the ODI top rank for the first time in February 1993, right after the 5-match ODI series against Pakistan where he smashed 224 runs. He finished that year as the world's number one and continued to remain on top.</p>
<p>Talking about ruling the rankings, he was there on top of the rankings for the next four years till November 1998 despite facing stiff competition from the likes of Steve Waugh, Sachin Tendulkar and Graeme Hick. It took a monumental effort from the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in Sharjah in 1998 to dethrone the great man from the rankings.</p>
<h3>2. Sir Vivian Richards – 1981, 1984-1987</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1687690061707_Viv-Richards.jpeg" alt="Viv Richards" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Viv Richards. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The man who changed the face of aggressive batting, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/dean-jones-recalls-the-historic-madras-test-after-viv-richards-suffers-from-dehydration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Sir Vivian Richards</strong></a> is still rated by many as the greatest entertainer the game has ever seen. The man who personified swagger even before the term was coined, Richards was the poster boy of Windies cricket for a time longer than most.</p>
<p>Richards took the number one spot in ODIs for the first time, dethroning Greg Chappell’s astronomic streak in January 1981. Zaheer Abbas took over briefly, but he regained the top spot soon and then started the Richards era of batting dominance. From 1984 to 1987, he finished on top for four consecutive calendar years.</p>
<p>Richards reached a career-high rating of 935 in 1985, which is the best rating till date for any batsman in ODI history. No one cam remotely close to gaining his position despite the likes of David Gower, Javed Miandad and Alan Lamb staying in contention.</p>
<h3>3. Michael Bevan – 1999 to 2002</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1687690118238_Michael-Bevan.jpeg" alt="Michael Bevan" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Michael Bevan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the greatest finishers the game has seen, Michael Bevan was an undisputed champion in the middle order for Australia under Steve Waugh. In the time which marked the commencement of the “Mighty Aussies” era, the southpaw was a sensational presence in the middle order.</p>
<p>Bevan topped the ICC rankings for the first time in January 1999, right after the Carlton &amp; United Tri-series which also included England and Sri Lanka, snatching the spot from Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar came back to reclaim the position in June 2002. A dip in form for Bevan saw even Sanath Jayasuriya take the spot briefly, but Bevan was back on top before the year ended.</p>
<p>For three consecutive years from 1999 to 2002, he finished the calendar year as number one ranked batsman. In 232 ODIs for the Aussies, Bevan scored just under 7,000 runs (6,912 runs) in his career. He had an outstanding average of 53.58 and despite struggling to make his presence felt in the Test format, he was an absolute legend for them in the ODIs.</p>
<h3>4. AB de Villiers – 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017</h3>
<figure id="attachment_355329" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-355329" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-355329" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_351647.jpg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-355329" class="wp-caption-text">AB de Villiers. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A man who knew no boundaries to his creativity, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rohit-sharma-names-ab-de-villiers-as-his-favourite-cricketer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>AB de Villiers</strong></a> was a phenomenon like no other in cricket history. The great man from South Africa retired in 2018 from all formats of the game, but not before leaving an everlasting legacy. He captained the side in the 2015 World Cup, where they lost in the semifinals to eventual runners New Zealand.</p>
<p>The year 2013 saw three of the greatest batsmen of all time juggle with the top spot each month. Despite Hashim Amla and Virat Kohli’s brilliance, AB de Villiers marched on and took the top spot for the first time in December 2013. Virat Kohli hit back almost immediately, but the South African once again was back on top in August 2014.</p>
<p>He was on top for the whole of 2015 and 2016, also claiming a career-high rating 902, which is the best for a South African. He finished four consecutive calendar years from 2013 to 2016 as the number one batsman and remained on top till June 2017, which was pretty significant considering the quality of batsmanship in this period.</p>
<h3>5. Virat Kohli – 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019</h3>
<figure id="attachment_358423" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-358423" style="width: 640px;" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-358423" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_342794.jpg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-358423" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A modern-day legend who is already hailed as the greatest ODI batsman of the century, Virat Kohli still has some fantastic years left in him to keep topping these charts. Already past the 11,000 mark in ODIs, he is chasing the all-time records which are currently in possession of his idol Sachin Tendulkar.</p>
<p>In December 2013, Virat Kohli became the third batsman after MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar to claim the top spot among Indians. His rival-friend AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and David Warner kept challenging for the throne and all the players kept juggling with the position for the next three years.</p>
<p>After Hashim Amla’s form dipped and AB de Villiers started to miss matches due to injuries and eventually retired, Kohli’s position on top was never challenged. Kohli has remained on top of the rankings since June 2017 despite some tough challenge coming from his vice-captain Rohit Sharma. He also reached a career-high rating of 911 in 2018, which is also the 6th best rating of all time.</p>
<p><strong>Honorable mentions:</strong> Dean Jones, Sachin Tendulkar, Keith Fletcher, Hashim Amla, Virat Kohli</p>

When Australia and England locked horns to play the first-ever ODI back in 1971, little did anyone imagine the changes this format was going to bring to popularize the sport. It brought in audaciousne

5 batters who ruled the No.1 ODI ranking for many years

These batters managed to rule the ICC rankings while they were at the peak of their powers.

These batsmen managed to rule the ICC rankings while they were in the peak of their powers.

5 batsmen who ruled the No.1 ODI ranking for many years

Here are five batters who dominated the no. 1 spot in ICC Men's ODI Batting Rankings for a longer duration.