Punjab Newsline,Sports :
After data correction, Kohli moves to third place among batters with longest reign at the top in ODIs
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has acknowledged and corrected a significant error related to the ODI rankings. In the latest ODI batting rankings released on January 14, Virat Kohli was named the world’s No.1 batter, but an important statistical detail about his career was incorrectly shared by the ICC. The data posted on social media stated that Kohli had remained the No.1 ranked ODI batter for a total of 825 days, which later turned out to be inaccurate.
After the mistake came to light, the ICC reviewed its records and issued corrected information. The council clarified that Virat Kohli has actually spent a total of 1,547 days as the No.1 batter in ODI cricket. This revised figure is nearly double the earlier number and highlights the true scale of Kohli’s dominance in the format over the years.
Based on the earlier incorrect data, Kohli was placed at 10th position in the list of batters who have spent the most days at the top of the ODI rankings. However, with the corrected statistics now in place, his position has improved significantly. Virat Kohli has moved up to third place on this elite list, underlining the consistency and longevity of his international career.
The record for the most days spent as the No.1 ODI batter is held by West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards, who remained at the top for a total of 2,306 days. He is followed by another West Indies great, Brian Lara, who held the top ranking for 2,079 days. With 1,547 days at No.1, Virat Kohli now stands third among the greatest ODI batters in terms of time spent at the summit.
This error by the ICC has once again raised questions about the accuracy of official data released by major sporting bodies. However, the timely correction has brought relief to Kohli’s fans. The incident also reinforces the fact that Virat Kohli is not only one of the finest batters of the modern era but has firmly established his place among cricket’s all-time greats based on both performance and records.