ICC fixes its blunder in Virat Kohli’s ranking as fans point out a mistake

Virat Kohli's comeback to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings created history, but it was momentarily marred by controversy after a mistake in an official ICC social media graphic led to misunderstandings and criticism.

For the first time in almost five years, Kohli is now ranked #1 in the ICC ODI rankings thanks to his incredible recent performance. In his last six games, the 37-year-old has scored five runs of fifty or more, including two hundreds. Soon after, though, the ICC misrepresented on social media how many days Kohli had been the top ODI batsman over his career. After a number of internet users pointed out ICC's error, it was eventually corrected.

The ICC shared a graphic on social media shortly after Kohli regained the top spot, asserting that the former India captain has been the top-ranked men's ODI batter for 825 days during his career. According to the statistics, he was ranked tenth in the history of the most days at the top.

The disparity was quickly pointed out by fans. According to a lot of earlier ICC records, Kohli has really been the top ODI batsman for 1,547 days, which is almost twice as much as the figure in the picture. Later, the regulatory board updated the record and reaffirmed that Kohli's actual total is 1,547 days. His position on the all-time list is changed by the modification, moving him up from tenth to third.

The only players who have been the best ODI batter for a longer period of time are West Indies greats Brian Lara (2,079 days) and Viv Richards (2,306 days).

On the longevity chart, which more correctly depicts multiple spells at the top rather than a single one, Kohli stands slightly behind Richards and Lara with an updated total of 1,547, surpassing some modern greats.

The update also highlights how a small numerical miscalculation can quickly alter the narrative in the era of rankings, when "days at No. 1" has come to be used as a shorthand for constant dominance. According to Kohli, the statistic now highlights both peak performance and the extraordinary fortitude required to consistently win despite changing conditions, formats, and opposition cycles.

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