Virat Kohli inches closer to No.1 spot in ICC ODI rankings
Virat Kohli's 291 runs in the five-match ODI series against New Zealand fetched him 11 ratings points in the ICC rankings list, taking his overall tally to 870, just two points behind number-one ranked AB de Villiers.
Virat Kohli's individual brilliance during India's disastrous show in the lost ODI series against New Zealand has helped the young batsman inch closer to the top spot in the latest ICC rankings issued on Saturday. (Read: NZ coach Mike Hesson delighted after mauling India in series)
India were drubbed 0-4 in the series which concluded on Friday but Kohli, placed second in the rankings right now, stood out by contributing 291 runs in the five-match affair. (Read: For Kiwi media, beating 'wobbly world champions' India like winning World Cup)
That performance fetched him 11 ratings points in the ICC list, taking his overall tally to 870, just two points behind number-one ranked AB de Villiers.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the nest best-placed Indian batsman at sixth in the list, followed by Shikhar Dhawan, who slipped a rung to 11th after an indifferent outing against New Zealand.
In the bowling charts, Ravindra Jadeja is the highest-placed Indian at ninth spot, which is a loss of three positions.
Meanwhile, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson have made impressive gains in the rankings for batsmen.
Taylor, named Player of the Match in the final ODI at Wellington yesterday, jumped six places to return to the top 10, and now sits in 10th place. Taylor was the second highest run-getter in the series with 343 runs from five matches.
Williamson ended as the highest run-getter in the series with 361 runs, and has risen 20 places to a best-ever ranking of 11th with 688 ratings points, only 25 ratings points behind Taylor. Williamson shares the 11th position with Dhawan.
The latest rankings update also takes into account Australia's 4-1 series win over England. As a result, Australia batsman George Bailey is now up a place to a third, just 14 ratings points behind Kohli and 16 behind de Villiers.
Meanwhile, England batsman Eoin Morgan has jumped four places to 13th even as New Zealand's Martin Guptill returned to the top 20, moving up five places to 19th.
Outside the top 20, the batsmen to move up include Ian Bell in 23rd (up by three), Glenn Maxwell in 32nd (up by nine), Corey Anderson in 34th (up by 51), David Warner in 40th (up by 17), James Faulkner in 50th (up by 15), Jesse Ryder in 52nd (up by three), Shaun Marsh in 64th (up by 17), and Ravindra Jadeja (up by eight) and Aaron Finch (up by 35) in joint 65th.