Indian legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma abruptly vanished from the most recent ODI batting rankings, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) has explained why. On Wednesday, August 20, fans were taken aback when the two were absent from the revised charts.
Many on social media speculated that Rohit and Kohli were getting ready to declare their retirements from the 50-over format because of the two modern-day greats’ absence. Fans’ worries were heightened by the fact that both players had already said goodbye to Test matches and Twenty20 Internationals earlier this year.
However, the ICC quickly added both names back to the rankings, much to the relief of Indian supporters.
The governing body stated in a statement that the momentary disappearance was caused by a technical malfunction along with a few other abnormalities in the update. The explanation puts an end to conjecture regarding Rohit and Kohli’s ODI futures, as they continue to be crucial to India’s strategy in the format.
According to the ICC, “a number of issues in this week’s rankings are currently being investigated,” Wisden.com reported.
According to the ICC rankings, Virat Kohli is now ranked fourth among ODI batsmen, while Rohit is placed second. The IPL 2025 season was when both were last seen playing, playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI), respectively. While Kohli celebrated his first IPL victory with RCB, defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final, Rohit was unable to add to his five IPL titles as MI was eliminated in the second qualifier.
The pair played crucial roles in India winning their first ICC ODI championship since 2013 in the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai, where they last played for India in ODIs. After batting 76 off 83 balls in the final match against New Zealand, Rohit, India’s current ODI captain, was voted Player of the Match. With 218 runs at an average of 54.50 and a strike rate of 82.88, Kohli finished as the fifth-highest run scorer, maintaining his consistency throughout the competition.
Both Rohit and Kohli declared their retirement from Test cricket in May, ahead of the just finished England tour, after India’s victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Both players are anticipated to play in India’s next three-match ODI series against Australia, which starts on October 19.
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