ICC Addresses Absence of Sharma and Kohli from ODI Rankings

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has provided clarification regarding the brief removal of prominent Indian cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the most recent ODI batting rankings.

Cricket enthusiasts expressed their surprise on Wednesday upon discovering the absence of these two accomplished players from the updated listings.

Their initial omission triggered considerable discussion across various social media platforms, with numerous individuals speculating whether Sharma and Kohli were contemplating retirement from the 50-over game.

However, the ICC swiftly reinstated both athletes to their respective rankings after many speculated that a Pakistani star batter had regained his second-place position in the ODI rankings.

Sharma is currently ranked second among ODI batsmen, while Kohli holds the fourth position.

In an official announcement, the governing body stated that a technical malfunction led to the temporary error, in addition to some other inconsistencies in the update.

The ICC communicated that they are currently investigating a few issues that arose in this week’s rankings.

The pair last played ODIs for India during the 2025 Champions Trophy held in Dubai, where they were instrumental in securing India’s first ICC ODI title since 2013.

India’s current ODI captain was recognized as Player of the Match in the final against New Zealand, following his innings of 76 runs from 83 deliveries.

Kohli concluded the tournament as the fifth-highest scorer, accumulating 218 runs with an average of 54.50 and a strike rate of 82.88.

Both celebrated Indian batsmen had previously retired from T20Is after India’s victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup and announced their retirements from Test matches in May, preceding the tour of England.

Notably, the men in blue are scheduled to participate in a three-match ODI series against Australia starting on October 19, where both Sharma and Kohli are anticipated to play significant roles.