Rohit Sharma scripted history by becoming the oldest Indian cricket team player to claim the top spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings. At the age of 38 years and 182 days, Rohit rose two places to become the World No. 1 for the first time in his career, displacing current India captain Shubman Gill. Rohit's rise in the rankings was a result of his stunning performance in the recently-concluded ODI series against Australia. The veteran batter emerged as the top run-scorer in the three-match series and he even received the 'Player of the Series' award. Rohit ended the series with 202 runs in three matches at an average of 101. On the other hand, Gill did not have a good outing with just 43 runs in three matches.
While Rohit tops the list with 781 rating points, Gill slipped to third with Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran claiming the second spot with 764 points. Virat Kohli, who regained his form with an unbeaten 74 in the third ODI match, is currently sixth in the rankings with 725 points.
Shreyas Iyer, who did not bat in the third ODI, rose to ninth in the latest rankings.
The achievement is extra special for Rohit amid growing chatter over his ODI future. With Gill replacing the veteran as the ODI captain just ahead of the series against Australia, many experts and fans wondered whether he will be retiring from the format in the near future.
However, he looked in sublime touch in Australia and produced two stunning knocks in Adelaide and Sydney. But, he did hint that this was the last time that he played in Australia.
"Always love coming here and playing here. Fond memories of 2008. I'm not sure if we'll be coming back to Australia, but we enjoy our cricket no matter what accolades we achieve," Rohit said.
