Kohli first Indian to top 900 points in Tests, ODIS

VIRAT KOHLI’S ODI RATING POINTS ARE ALSO THE HIGHEST IN THE LAST 27 YEARS, SINCE AUSTRALIA’S DEAN JONES HAD 918 POINTS IN 1991.

MUMBAI: Virat Kohli has become the second batsman ever, after South Africa’s AB de Villiers, to achieve 900 rating points in the ICC rankings for Tests and ODIS concurrently.

The India skipper, who has had a great run in both formats on the current South Africa tour, also became the first Indian batsman to breach the 900-mark in ODIS, extending his lead over De Villiers. Kohli has 909 points to De Villiers’ 844.

Virat Kohli’s ODI rating points are also the highest in the last 27 years, since Australia’s Dean Jones had 918 points in 1991.

De Villiers enjoyed the 900point double in 2015 – he had 902 points in ODIS and 935 in Tests.

Kohli’s rankings landmark follows his world record aggregate of 558 runs in the just-ended ODI series versus South Africa – the first time a batsman crossed 500 in a bilateral series.

Averaging a mind-boggling 186, the India cricket team captain struck three centuries and a half-century in the six ODIS, being dismissed only thrice in India’s 5-1 win.

“Kohli has thus moved ahead of Brian Lara in the all-timers’ list, having also overtaken him in the all-timers’ Test list last month. Kohli is now seventh in the ODI list of all-time rankings that is led by Viv Richards with 935 points and the India captain is now 22 points clear of Sachin Tendulkar, whose ODI career high of 887 points came against Zimbabwe in January 1998. Kohli’s aggregate is the best since Lara reached 911 points in March 1993,” the ICC said in its release.

India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan with 787 rating points each occupy the top spot among ODI bowlers.

With 323 runs in the South Africa series, opener Shikhar Dhawan rose four spots to 10th among ODI batsmen.

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who took 16 wickets in six matches, is up eight places to 21st and Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav has moved up 15 spots to 47th.

“Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s eight wickets have lifted him two places to take the joint first position,” the release said.

RASHID SURGES AHEAD Rashid Khan played a key role in Afghanistan’s ODI series win against Zimbabwe, grabbing 16 wickets in five matches.

“Rashid has joined Bumrah at the top with 16 wickets in the series against Zimbabwe, which Afghanistan won 4-1 to become the youngest to attain top ranking.

“His 51 runs in two innings in the series, including a brisk 43 in the final match in Sharjah on Monday, has also helped him break into the top-five in the list of all-rounders while he has also moved up 11 slots to 114th among batsmen,” the ICC release said.

While the ICC release shows them as joint first, the list on the website placed Bumrah first and Rashid Khan second.