NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli has returned to the number one spot in the ICC ODI rankings for the first time since July 2021, following a series of phenomenal performances. He scored an unbeaten 74 against Australia, followed by 135, 102, and 65 not out against the visiting South Africa, and 93 in the first ODI against New Zealand.

Kohli first reached the top of the ICC ODI rankings in October 2013, and this marks his 11th separate stint at number one. Apart from Kohli's return to the top, another talking point was an ICC error regarding the total number of days the star Indian batter has spent as the number-one ranked batter.

The ICC had mentioned that Kohli has been at the top for a total of 825 days in its initial graphic – 10th most by any player and the most by an Indian batter. However, their error came to the notice of netizens, who were quick to point out the world body's mistake, which was eventually rectified.

This appeared to be a glaring error, as several previous ICC records confirm that Kohli has actually spent 1,547 days at the top of the ODI rankings. The ICC eventually deleted the social media post and clarified that Kohli indeed holds 1,547 days as the number-one ODI batter.

With this corrected figure, Kohli jumps from 10th to 3rd place on the all-time list, behind only West Indies legends Sir Vivian Richards (2,306 days) and Brian Lara (2,079 days).

Kohli's top-ranked position is under threat, as New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell is just one point behind him with 784 rating points. The ranking was updated ahead of the second ODI against New Zealand, in which Kohli endured a rare failure while Mitchell scored an unbeaten, match-winning century.

If Kohli fails to perform in the third ODI, Mitchell could surpass him to become the new number-one ODI batter.