New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell has produced a truly remarkable run of form to knock Virat Kohli off the top of the ICC Men’s ODI batting rankings, marking one of the most dominant batting performances of his career.
Mitchell’s trio of big scores, 84, 131 and 137* against the India national cricket team in the three-match ODI series helped him accumulate a staggering 352 runs, the highest total by a New Zealand player in such a bilateral ODI series.
Mitchell records most runs in a 3-ODI series against India
Across the series, Mitchell was the backbone of New Zealand’s batting. In the second ODI at Rajkot, he anchored a chase with a match-winning 131 off 117 balls*, guiding the Black Caps to a historic seven-wicket victory, New Zealand’s highest ODI chase in India.
He carried that momentum into the third and final ODI at Indore, where his 137 off 131 balls underpinned a 41-run win that sealed the series 2–1 and delivered a momentous milestone for the tourists. Alongside Glenn Phillips’ 106, Mitchell’s innings helped New Zealand post a commanding 337/8, and the pair shared a 219-run partnership that proved pivotal in the series decider.
Despite India traditionally being one of the tougher sides to score big against, Daryl Mitchell has been remarkably consistent in delivering top knocks whenever he faces them. Mitchell now has five 50-plus scores in his last six ODIs against India, including three tons, showing that he doesn’t just rise once but on several occasions when the challenge is toughest.
World No. 1 ODI Batter — A Historic Rise
Mitchell’s run haul and consistency have propelled him to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings, overtaking Kohli and underscoring his ascent as one of the premier 50-over batters in the world. He becomes only the second New Zealander to reach the No. 1 spot in ODI batting, a feat last achieved decades ago.
His series exploits featuring two hundreds and a fifty at an average of 176.00 reflect not just form, but a clutch temperament that New Zealand will rely on as they build toward future ICC tournaments.
This performance all but cements his position in the T20I squad for the upcoming T20I World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Mitchell has shown great maturity in his batting antics in tough conditions, and they need to be not just rewarded but also studied. As time goes by, he will certainly emerge as one of the best ODI players ever to represent the Kiwis.
