Rohit Sharma climbed to the number one spot in the ICC Men’s ODI batting rankings on 29th October 2025. This is after his stellar show in the three-match ODI series against Australia in their home ground. He is now up to 781 rating points, ahead of Ibrahim Zadran and Shubman Gill. The 38-year-old opener turned a late-career purple patch into an all-time mark.
This current climb up the ladder is historic on two counts: this is Rohit’s first-ever stint at the ODI number 1 spot, and at 38 years and 182 days, he becomes the oldest batter in history to attain the spot. That age milestone is a big statement when it comes to Rohit’s quality along with his longevity, especially in the format.
The oldest batters to attain ODI no.1 spot
What pushed Rohit to the top
Rohit Sharma played two substantial knocks against Australia, while remaining unbeaten after scoring a century in the final match. This nudged his rating points to 781, taking him over Zadran and Gill. The fact that Shubman Gill did not have the best of series helped his cause to an extent. The efforts from the former Indian skipper took him to his all-time high in the ICC ODI rankings for batters.
The benchmark
{{/usCountry}}Rohit Sharma played two substantial knocks against Australia, while remaining unbeaten after scoring a century in the final match. This nudged his rating points to 781, taking him over Zadran and Gill. The fact that Shubman Gill did not have the best of series helped his cause to an extent. The efforts from the former Indian skipper took him to his all-time high in the ICC ODI rankings for batters.
The benchmark
{{/usCountry}}Well, this is just day 1 for Rohit at the summit of ODI batting rankings. Legends of the game have previously shown and established their dominance by holding the spot for long stretches. When it comes to the batter with the most number of days at the top spot, the record belongs to Sir Vivian Richards, who stood at the summit for 1,748 continuous days. Among the Indian batters, Rohit’s teammate and regarded as one of the best to have ever played the format, Virat Kohli holds the record. He held the top spot in the ICC ODI ranking for batting for 1,258 days.
Perspectives and takeaways from this ranking surge
Rohit becomes the only batter to reach the top spot in ODI batting rankings at 38 plus, an age bracket where most cricketers start to wane out.
Among the greatest ever batters, Zaheer Abbas and Desmond Haynes previously topped the chart when it comes to becoming the number one ICC ODI batter. Rohit has broken the record by a distance, proving that he is ageing like a fine wine.
When it comes to being the number one-ranked batter in ICC rankings across formats, Rohit has also become the oldest in that case. He has gone past the great Sachin Tendulkar in that respect. Notably, Sachin held the top position in Test cricket at 38 years and 73 days in 2011.