Five batsmen who can claim No.1 ODI ranking from Virat Kohli

Among all the names in the cricketing world, one name that frightens most of the bowling lineups is that of the Indian skipper, Virat Kohli who will turn 30 this November. He is already being hailed as one of the greatest cricketers of all time and with every passing day, he’s drifting far away from his nearest competitors.

Although a few experts feel he’s not yet there amongst the very greats in the Test format, he certainly is right up there in the ODIs. In fact, a lot of experts have already rated the Indian captain as the finest ODI batsman of the millennium and not a lot of people argue with that opinion.

He currently is at the helm of the ICC ODI rankings and is 42 points clear of the second best. He averages a mind-whacking 58.21 in the 50-over format, which really is terrestrial. There aren’t many who can really catch up with his statistics, but there are a few batsmen who can replace him at the top of the ODI rankings in the near future.

1. Rohit Sharma

If ever the experts have to pick one name to replace the 29-year-old in the ODI rankings, it will be Rohit Sharma. After leading the Indian side to Asia Cup glory in the UAE, the 31-year-old jumped to the second spot with 842 points. He has the best average among all openers in this format since 2013.

One of the best things about this Mumbaikar is his fearless intent and ability to churn boundaries off good deliveries. Time and again, he has proven his mettle against the white ball and it would come as no surprise if he takes over his captain in the rankings. He recently eclipsed the 7,000-run mark in ODIs as well, making him the ninth Indian batsman to achieve the feat.