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 Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images) 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. 2. Joe Root Joe Root. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) In the Smith and Kohli debate, Joe Root often goes slightly unnoticed. He can take a little bit of the blame on himself for failing to convert the 50s into big knocks on numerous occasions, eventually not helping the side in a way Kohli or others have been doing consistently over the last few years But the Englishman still averages over 50 in the 50-over format and is currently in the third position in the ODI rankings. The 27-year-old has a huge nine months coming up as the World Cup is fast approaching and there are some big sides touring England. If he can register some good knocks and take over the number 1 spot, which he is very well capable of, England will appear a lot more devastating than what they do come the mega event. 3. Babar Azam Babar Azam of Pakistan. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images) Touted as the future of Pakistani batting lineup, Babar Azam has a huge role to play in the coming few months. Although there were many comparisons drawn between him and Virat Kohli in the past, he ruled all of them out terming the Indian skipper as a “Legend” and an “Incomparable” cricketer. Having said that, the comparisons would never stop and so would his quest to rise up in the batsman’s rankings. One of the few technically solid batsmen Pakistan has at this point in time, the 23-year-old briefly held the second position in the rankings before slipping to sixth (current position). But considering his metronomic rise in the last couple of years, there’s no one denying his chances of joining the elite names sooner rather than later. 4. Shikhar Dhawan Shikhar Dhawan. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) The Gabbar had a terrific Asia Cup campaign, which helped him escalate to the fifth spot in the rankings with 802 points. This is one of the very few occasions where three Indian batsmen are featuring in the top five rankings and taking into consideration how the southpaw has been performing in ODIs recently, there’s every chance that he can go well further. Dhawan has been struggling in the longest format, but there’s no denying his prowess facing the white ball. He has performed consistently well in the major tournaments, which includes the 2015 World Cup, Champions Trophy in 2013 and 2017 and the recently concluded Asia Cup. With another big tournament in the radar, the Delhi man is certainly eyeing something very glorious. 5. Kane Williamson Kane Williamson of New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) All those who doubted Kane Williamson’s ability to attack the white ball, he answered the critics in style with a performance of the lifetime in the IPL 2018. He’s currently at the eighth position in the rankings, but the Kiwi skipper has been flying high in the last few months and it seems like the sky is the limit for him at this point. He has already amassed over 5,000 runs at an average in excess of 45 in the ODIs. New Zealand are one of the firm favorites to lift the coveted trophy in July next year, but for that to happen, this man has to be at his best. The highest he reached in the ODI rankings is third and certainly, he has all the ingredients in his arsenal to take him to the top spot some day.

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

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.

3. Babar Azam

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