ICC forced to fix massive blunder on Virat Kohli's No. 1 ODI ranking after fan backlash
Virat Kohli reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings in January 2026 for the first time since July 2021, but the ICC made a glaring error on social media that was quickly caught by eagle-eyed fans. The world cricket body initially posted that Kohli had spent just 825 days at the top of the ODI rankings across his career, placing him 10th on the all-time list, when the correct figure is actually 1,547 days. After a backlash from fans on social media, the ICC deleted the post and issued a corrected version.
The social media blunder that fans caught
When the ICC announced Kohli’s return to the No. 1 ODI ranking, they released a graphic showing the most days spent by any batter at the top of the ODI rankings. The graphic showed Kohli at 10th place with 825 days, stating he had spent the most days at No. 1 among all Indian batters. But fans immediately spotted the mistake, pointing out that previous ICC records and documents had always mentioned Kohli’s tally as 1,547 days at the summit.
Social media users tagged the ICC and asked how such a major error could be made by the world governing body of cricket. The pressure from fans and cricket followers eventually forced the ICC to delete the original post and release a corrected version acknowledging that Kohli had indeed spent 1,547 days as the No. 1 ODI batter.
Where Kohli actually ranks all-time
With the correct figure of 1,547 days, Kohli jumps from 10th place all the way up to third on the all-time list of batters who have spent the most days at No. 1 in ODI rankings. He now sits behind only two West Indies legends—Sir Vivian Richards, who holds the record with 2,306 days at the top, and Brian Lara, who spent 2,079 days as the No. 1 ODI batter.
This is the 11th time Kohli has reached the No. 1 spot in the ODI batting rankings, and he first climbed to the summit back in October 2013. His return to the top after nearly five years is a result of sensational recent form, including centuries of 135 and 102 against South Africa in December 2025, a knock of 93 in the first ODI against New Zealand in January 2026, and scores in domestic cricket.
Kohli’s stunning form that brought him back to No. 1
The 37-year-old has been in outstanding touch across one-day cricket since his return to competitive action in October 2025. He scored an unbeaten 74 against Australia in Sydney, then smashed 135, 102 and 65 not out in the home ODI series against South Africa in November-December. Kohli also made a strong comeback to domestic cricket, hitting a century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s premier 50-over tournament.
His match-winning 93 off 91 balls in the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara pushed him past Rohit Sharma to reclaim the No. 1 ranking, and he overtook his India team-mate on the updated ICC rankings released on January 13, 2026. Kohli’s consistent run of form over the last few months—seven scores of 50 or more in his last eight one-day innings—shows he is back to his best in the 50-over format despite being active only in ODIs now.