Rohit Sharma surges ahead of Virat Kohli in latest ICC ODI rankings

A title-winning championship for a team is deemed to reflect well on the individual records of the champions involved. Indian players have jumped to impressive spots in the latest ICC ODI rankings, days after the Men in Blue lifted the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai. The skipper, Rohit Sharma, has noted a tremendous turnaround in his numbers, and it shows in his standing on the list. The opening batter eclipsed Virat Kohli in the ODI batsmen standings to rank among the Top 3 after his knock that led the path to India's victory against New Zealand in the final chase.

Rohit Sharma ranked among the Top 3 in the latest ICC ODI rankings

India's shift from Tests to white-ball cricket proved fruitful for the team. Leaving the horrid season behind them, India started the white-ball season with a dominating win over England at home. The three-match ODI series, a prelude to the ICC Champions Trophy, highlighted the sublime form of batters like Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer. Moreover, the series also noted the comeback of Rohit Sharma, as the one known to hit daddy hundreds smashed another century. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill, now the vice-captain of the team, scored a century in Ahmedabad to close the series 3-0 against England. His consistent run across the three fixtures boosted him past Babar Azam to the top spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings before the team kicked off their Champions Trophy campaign.

The ICC tournament, meanwhile, bore witness to the brilliance of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The skipper provided a swift start to the team with effortless hitting. However, towards the very end of the tournament in Dubai, the captain remained devoid of any fifty or century knock. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli held the order together with his gritty knocks against Pakistan and eventually Australia in the semi-final. The 84-run knock against the Kangaroos in the semi-final was the leading element behind the team's qualification for the summit clash.

Amid the glorious run of Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer impressed with consistent knocks across the five matches that India played. His presence and its impact in the lineup were highlighted when the team landed in a puddle against New Zealand at the group stage. As Matt Henry ensued a collapse with a five-wicket haul, Iyer stood tall with a 79-run knock that pushed the score to a fighting total. His knocks, aided by an instrumental 48-run cameo in the final against New Zealand, added up to make Iyer the highest scorer for India in the Champions Trophy. With 20 runs less than Rachin Ravindra, Iyer concluded the tournament as the second-highest run-scorer overall. Now, in the latest ICC rankings, the middle-order batter is placed at the eighth spot.

The top spots, meanwhile, belong to the seasoned prospects. Shubman Gill started the tournament with a century against Bangladesh. While he didn't note any other milestone knock, Gill impressed in patches, with the most crucial being his 100-run opening stand with Rohit Sharma in the India vs New Zealand final. The knock, which came to an abrupt end at 31 as the high-flying Glenn Phillips completed yet another unbelievable catch, was enough for Gill to maintain his stay atop the ICC rankings. While the top 2 remain the same, the third spot has now been acquired by Rohit Sharma.

The captain came with a 76-run knock that defined the chase against New Zealand in Dubai. Though the Kiwis managed to threaten a derailment of India's winning plans, Rohit's knock laid a foundation strong enough to sustain any pressure. With 180 runs across the five matches, with the most impactful coming at the most crucial point, Rohit jumped two places to land at the third spot in the ICC rankings.

Virat Kohli, meanwhile, dropped to the fifth spot, behind Rohit and Heinrich Klaasen. Proving his repute as the most reliable prospect for India in the batting order, Kohli concluded the Champions Trophy as the second-highest run-getter for the team. The Chase Master accumulated 218 runs at an average of 54.50 across the five matches, including a ton against Pakistan. His charge against the arch-rivals saw Kohli enter the Top 5 of the ICC rankings in the previous update. In the latest one, Kohli has maintained his stay among the top 5 but has been eclipsed by Rohit and Klaasen. Meanwhile, despite a disappointing early exit from the championship, Babar Azam has managed to stay at the second spot, with just 14 points of difference between his and Rohit's ratings.