5 batsmen who were on top of the ICC ODI rankings at the end of multiple years

MS Dhoni, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli, all three feature on this list
MS Dhoni, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli, all three feature on this list

It is a moment of pride for every cricketer if he gets the position in the top 10 list of rankings generated by the International Cricket Council. To end a cricketing year as the top-rated batsmen in the ODI format is the most dreamt wish of every batsman in the world.

However, it is not everyone’s cup of tea to be the best ODI batsman of the year as it demands lots of dedication and consistency. But, there have been various cricketers also who have maintained this position for more than a year. Some of the best examples include Virat Kohli and Hashim Amla.

There are a lot of legends who have achieved this unique record of finishing at the top of the ICC ODI rankings for multiple years. The top 5 players from the list are:

(Note: This list considers the ICC Player Rankings from 2005)


#5 Ricky Ponting (2005 and 2007)

Ricky Ponting was the best batsmen in ODIs by ICC in 2005 and 2007.
Ricky Ponting was the best batsmen in ODIs by ICC in 2005 and 2007.

Ricky Ponting has been known as a revolutionist for Australian cricket since his debut. Ricky has played the role of a cornerstone in building the mighty Australian team, which was almost unbeatable during his leadership. He gifted players like Steve Smith and David Warner to Australian cricket after his retirement.

Ricky Ponting in his era was the best-rated ODI batsman in the world. He topped the list of ICC ODI batsman rankings multiple times. The year 2005 and 2007 were the best years for him as he stood at the pinnacle as a batsman in those years.

Ultimately he retired from international cricket in the year 2012 with 13,704 international ODI runs in his name.

#4 MS Dhoni (2008 and 2009)

MS Dhoni has ended the ICC ODI rankings at the top for a total of 2 times.
MS Dhoni has ended the ICC ODI rankings at the top for a total of 2 times.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has made his name a legendary one in ODI cricket. Not only in terms of captaincy, but his batting skills also have played a huge role in his success in the ODI format of the game. Dhoni has won a multitude of games single-handedly for his side with his highly qualified batting skills and his ability to remain ice cool in pressure situations.

Referring to his batting stats, the former Indian captain has so far scored 10,366 runs from his 335 international ODI matches at an average of more than 50. He has even topped the ICC ODI rankings list for more than 1 year in his career so far.

He was at the top of the ODI rankings at the end of the year 2008 and also at the end of the year 2009. Hence, he had ended the ICC ODI rankings as the number one batsman for 2 consecutive years.

#3 Hashim Amla (2010, 2011 and 2012)

Hashim Amla is currently the best ODI batsman of South Africa in the ODI format
Hashim Amla is currently the best ODI batsman of South Africa in the ODI format

South Africa has been on the luckiest side when the talk comes to ODI cricket. They have got bundles of star-studded batsmen in their line-ups, who create difficulties for the opposition bowlers. Before the retirement of AB de Villiers, the entire strength of the African side lied in their 3 top-order batsmen - De Kock, De Villiers and Amla.

Hashim Amla played his first ever ODI match on 9th March 2008 as he became the 90th player for South Africa to achieve this feat. So far, from 2008 - present, Amla has scored close to 8000 ODI runs in just 170 matches at a breathtaking average of 50.34.

Along with this, Amla had also ended the ICC ODI rankings at the top for a total of 3 years in his career so far. He ended the list at the top for 3 consecutive years starting from 2010 to 2012.

#2 Virat Kohli (2017 and 2018)

Virat Kohli is currently the best ODI batsman in the world
Virat Kohli is currently the best ODI batsman in the world

Virat Kohli and the records list are two things which go hand in hand. Virat has conquered almost each and every record in the shorter format of the game since his arrival in 2008.

He has already demolished the major records created by some legendary cricketers of the world. His never-ending hunger for runs and victories is the only thing which keeps him going all the time.

So far, Kohli has already scored 10,385 ODI runs from just 219 matches which includes 39 centuries and 48 half-centuries. Apart from these achievements, he has also ended the list of ICC ODI rankings at the top in the last 2 years.

Kohli topped the list for the 2 consecutive years: 2017 and 2018 and looks likely to continue in a similar vein this year also. He took the no 1 spot from AB de Villiers in 2017 and hasn't looked back since.

#1 AB de Villiers (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016)

AB De Villiers took retirement from all formats of the game in 2018.
AB De Villiers took retirement from all formats of the game in 2018.

AB de Villiers made a unique name for himself in the world of cricket with his crazy stroke armoury. He made a roaring entry into the cricket field in the year 2004 as a wicket-keeper batsman for South Africa.

But later on, he concentrated purely on his batting skills. He was even nicknamed as Mr. 360 for his ability to play shots all around the ground.

Nicknamed as ABD, De Villiers took the whole world with a storm as he announced his retirement out of the blue in 2018. However, he ended his career on a happy side as he got all the things which a cricketer could wish before his retirement.

AB retired with 9,577 international ODI runs to his name with the highest score of 176 runs. Along with these, he also ended the list of ICC ODI rankings at the top for a total of 4 years in his career. He consecutively topped the list from 2013 to 2016.

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Edited by Debjyoti Samanta