Home » Sports news » Which batter has spent the most days as the No. 1-ranked batter in ODIs? Kohli enters top 10
Which batter has spent the most days as the No. 1-ranked batter in ODIs? Kohli enters top 10
Virat Kohli's return to the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI Batting Rankings highlights his remarkable achievement of 825 days at the top, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record.
Koushik Biswas
Jan 14, 2026
Virat Kohli has regained his position at the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings. Image | BCCI
The ICC ODI Batting Rankings have always been the ultimate barometer of greatness in limited-overs cricket. While many stars have reached the summit for a fleeting week or two, only a handful of titans have managed to build permanent residences at the top. Following Virat Kohli’s historic return to the No. 1 spot today, the record books have been dusted off once again. Kohli has now spent a total of 825 days as the world’s top-ranked batter, the most by any Indian in history. However, as the list below proves, he still has a long road ahead to catch the ultimate masters of the format.
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Here is the definitive list of the legends who have spent the most time as the world’s No. 1 ODI batter.
1. Viv Richards (West Indies) – 2,306 Days
The "Master Blaster" didn't just top the rankings; he owned them. Sir Viv Richards remains the gold standard for ODI dominance. Holding the top spot for over six years in total, his reign during the 1980s was defined by a swagger and strike rate that were decades ahead of his time.
To this day, he remains the only player to cross the 2,300-day milestone.
Read also: IND vs NZ, 1st ODI LIVE: Kohli reaches 28,000 international runs, breaks Sachin’s record
2. Brian Lara (West Indies) – 2,079 Days
The "Prince of Port of Spain" follows his fellow West Indian on this list. Brian Lara’s genius was his ability to dismantle any bowling attack with surgical precision. Across the 1990s and early 2000s, Lara engaged in a legendary tug-of-war for the top spot with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting, ultimately amassing over 2,000 days at the peak.
3. Michael Bevan (Australia) – 1,361 Days
The man who invented the art of the "finish." Michael Bevan wasn't a traditional power-hitter, but his icy nerves and elite running between the wickets kept him at the top of the world for nearly four years.
During Australia’s golden era, Bevan was the statistical engine that made their middle order invincible.
4. Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 1,359 Days
The modern-day maestro from Pakistan, Babar Azam, recently climbed into the top five of this elite list. Known for his textbook technique and relentless run-scoring, Babar’s prolonged stay at No. 1 between 2021 and 2024 cemented his status as one of Pakistan’s greatest-ever ODI assets.
He sits just two days behind Bevan, a testament to his modern-day consistency.
5. AB de Villiers (South Africa) – 1,356 Days
"Mr. 360" brought a level of innovation to the game that the rankings had never seen before. AB de Villiers’ ability to score all around the ground at a strike rate often exceeding 100 meant he was a permanent fixture in the top spot for much of the 2010s.
His career-best rating of 901 remains one of the highest in history.
6. Dean Jones (Australia) – 1,161 Days
Before Bevan, there was Dean Jones. A pioneer of aggressive running and taking the attack to the bowlers in the middle overs, "Deano" was the focal point of the Australian side that won the 1987 World Cup.
His decade-long career saw him spend well over 1,000 days as the world's best.
7. Keith Fletcher (England) – 1,101 Days
A name that often surprises modern fans, Keith Fletcher was a pillar of consistency for England in the early days of ODI cricket.
His ability to anchor an innings and play low-risk cricket allowed him to accumulate a massive points tally during the mid-70s and early 80s.
8. Hashim Amla (South Africa) – 1,047 Days
The "Mighty Hash" was a run-machine who broke almost every "fastest to" record previously held by Kohli and Tendulkar.
Hashim Amla’s serene batting style and incredible conversion rate kept him at No. 1 for nearly three years, forming a lethal duo at the top of the rankings with AB de Villiers.
9. Greg Chappell (Australia) – 998 Days
Just two days shy of the 1,000-day club, Greg Chappell was the premier batter of the late 70s. As a classical stylist with an aggressive mindset, Chappell set the blueprint for the modern Australian batting ethos and dominated the rankings during the infancy of the one-day game.
10. Virat Kohli (India) – 825 Days
Rounding out the top ten is the man of the hour. Virat Kohli’s 825 days represent 11 different spells at the top, a record for resilience.
Having first reached No. 1 in 2013 and returning again in 2026, Kohli’s longevity is unmatched in the Indian context, officially surpassing the total days spent at the top by his idol, Sachin Tendulkar.
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