Rohit Sharma regains No. 1 ODI ranking ahead of South Africa ODIs

Ace Indian batter Rohit Sharma has returned to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings ahead of the 50-over series against South Africa. The three-match ODI series is scheduled to commence on November 30.

Daryl Mitchell, whom Rohit dethroned, dropped valuable rating points after the Kiwi cricketer missed the second and third ODIs of the Black Caps' 3-0 series triumph against West Indies. A minor groin tear had ruled him out for the final two matches.

Rohit, who has already retired from T20Is and Test cricket, was recently honoured with the title of the Brand Ambassador of the Men's T20 World Cup 2026. The appointment to the same was announced by ICC's chairperson Jay Shah during the schedule announcement for the marquee T20I tournament, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Speaking of Rohit's T20I career, he has featured in all nine editions of the T20 World Cup since its first iteration in 2007. He was a member of the title-winning squad in the 2007 edition. Rohit also held the silverware as a captain during the most-recent one in the Americas in 2024. He played a key role in the tournament, ending as India's leading run-getter with 257 runs at a strike rate of 156.70.

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Speaking at the event in Mumbai on November 25 (Tuesday), Rohit expressed happiness for the mega event to come back to India after so many years and to be a part of the T20 World Cup again.

"It is great to have the tournament back in India and for me to be associated once again with the tournament, this time in a new capacity as the Brand Ambassador. I wish all the players the very best and hope they have a memorable time and enjoy India's hospitality while taking back a lot of memories," stated Rohit following his appointment.

Amid other shifts in the ICC rankings, Sikandar Raza made a shift to the No. 1 spot in the T20I all-rounder list for the first time in his career following impressive performances in the Pakistan T20I tri-nation series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das and Mominul Haque made significant climbs after their team's 217-run triumph against Ireland in the second Test of the series.