In the midst of constant speculation regarding his cricketing future, India ODI captain Rohit Sharma has risen one position in the current ICC ODI men's batting rankings to second position. Rohit took the spot after erstwhile Pakistan captain Babar Azam lost rating points after a poor series against the West Indies. India Test captain Shubman Gill tops the ODI rankings while veteran Virat Kohli retains the fourth position.
Rohit's last appearance for India came in the Champions Trophy 2025, where he guided the team to their second championship. He had scored 180 runs from five games—the fourth-highest for India in the tournament—while having the highest strike rate among the top-order batsmen.
Babar, on the other hand, could only score 56 runs in the three-game ODI series against the West Indies as Pakistan lost the series 2-1, and he fell to the third spot in the rankings.
India currently have four batters in the top 10 and five in the top 15. Shreyas Iyer, India’s leading run-scorer in the Champions Trophy 2025, is ranked eighth, while wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul sits at 15th.
In the wake of India's 2-2 Test series draw with England, the speculation over the ODI careers of Rohit and Kohli has grown. Both at 38 and 36 years of age respectively, both now play only the 50-over game. India's remaining 2025 ODI calendar being light, doubts have been raised about long-term careers of such greats.
Rohit, though, assured after the Champions Trophy 2025 that he won't be retiring from ODIs, even jokingly reassuring Kohli at the time of celebrations. Even with their eyes set on the 2027 Cricket World Cup, reports indicate that neither of them has a sure spot in the ODI side and can perhaps have to play in domestic cricket to prove form and fitness.
There is also discussion on whether Rohit will remain captain until the World Cup. With 25-year-old Shubman Gill impressing in England, Rohit's captaincy is no longer a certainty.
However, the recent ODI rankings highlight the sustained ability and influence of both Rohit and Kohli in the 50-over game. The two are next scheduled to appear in October 2025, as India tour Australia for a three-match ODI series.
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