File photo of Virat Kohli.© AFP
India batting mainstay Virat Kohli on Wednesday moved up two places to reach the seventh position in ICC rankings for batters, after hitting a terrific 85 in his team’s six-wicket win over Australia in the World Cup in Chennai. Kohli walked out to bat with India placed in a precarious 2 for 2 which soon became 5 for 3 but he lifted his side with a gritty knock that thwarted Australia’s progress while adding a match-winning 165 for the fourth wicket with KL Rahul. Rahul, who struck 97 not out against Australia, moved up 15 positions to reach the 19th spot while World Cup history’s fastest century-maker, South Africa’s Aiden Markram reached 21st, as he moved up 11 positions.
The ICC issued the release on Wednesday which did not take into account Kohli’s unbeaten 55 against Afghanistan, as India recorded their second straight win by 8 wickets and 15 overs to spare.
“Ten centuries across the opening eight matches at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 have shaken up the top end of the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings,” the ICC said on its website.
Among other Indians, Mohammed Siraj slipped to the second spot having shared the top with Australia’s Josh Hazlewood for a while. Siraj lost five points after the game against Australia.
India spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved up three positions to reach eighth but all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja remained outside the top-40 list of bowlers despite his three-wicket haul in Chennai.
At the same time, Quinton de Kock’s 84-ball 100 against Sri Lanka in World Cup clash at New Delhi saw the South African move up one spot to reach the sixth position.
England’s Dawid Malan, who struck a terrific 140 against Bangladesh in Dharamsala, moved up as many as seven spots to reach the eighth in the rankings, while Pakistan’s Imam Ul Haq dropped three positions and was placed ninth.
The ICC rankings had New Zealand’s Trent Boult moving up two spots to third and Matt Henry rising four spots to reach the fifth position inside the top 10.
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