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.
5. Virat Kohli – 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019
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.
Honorable mentions: Dean Jones, Sachin Tendulkar, Keith Fletcher, Hashim Amla, Virat Kohli
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