Virat and Rohit’s performance vs South Africa

Kohli was awarded Player of the Series after piling up 302 runs across the three matches, including two consecutive centuries in the first two matches and a match-winning half-century in the second. On the other hand, Rohit, who is at number one in the tally, amassed 146 runs during the series, enough for him to keep hold of the top ranking, though Kohli is now only eight rating points behind after finishing with an unbeaten 65 in the final match in Visakhapatnam.

Kohli wasn’t the only Indian player to rise this week. KL Rahul also made notable progress, moving up two spots to 12th among ODI batters. Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav jumped three places to third in the ODI bowlers’ rankings.

Apart from the Indian players, South Africa stars also improved their standings despite losing the high-scoring series 2–1. Quinton de Kock climbed three places to 13th, Aiden Markram moved up four spots to 25th, and Temba Bavuma rose three to 37th among ODI batters.

ICC ODI rankings for December 2025

Rank
Player
Country
Rating
Career Best
1
Rohit Sharma
India
781
882 v Sri Lanka at Headingley 2019
2
Virat Kohli
India
773
909 v England at Headingley 2018
3
Daryl Mitchell
New Zealand
766
782 v West Indies at Christchurch 2025
4
Ibrahim Zadran
Afghanistan
764
764 v Bangladesh at Abu Dhabi 2025
5
Shubman Gill
India
723
847 v Australia at Indore 2023
6
Babar Azam
Pakistan
722
898 v West Indies at Multan 2022
7
Harry Tector
Ireland
708
767 v Afghanistan at Sharjah 2024
8
Shai Hope
West Indies
701
802 v Bangladesh at Malahide 2019
9
Charith Asalanka
Sri Lanka
690
725 v Bangladesh at Colombo (RPS) 2025
10
Shreyas Iyer
India
679
710 v New Zealand at Mumbai 2023
11
Travis Head
Australia
653
697 v England at Trent Bridge 2024
12
KL Rahul
India
649
675 v South Africa at Gqeberha 2023
13
Quinton de Kock
South Africa
646
808 v Sri Lanka at Gqeberha 2019
14
Rachin Ravindra
New Zealand
645
652 v West Indies at Napier 2025
15
Pathum Nissanka
Sri Lanka
639
728 v Bangladesh at Chittagong 2024
16
Kusal Mendis
Sri Lanka
638
669 v Bangladesh at Pallekele 2025
17
Salman Agha
Pakistan
631
639 v Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi 2025
18
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Afghanistan
626
686 v Bangladesh at Sharjah 2024
19
Paul Stirling
Ireland
625
698 v Netherlands at Utrecht 2021
20
Sikandar Raza
Zimbabwe
602
627 v India at Harare 2022
Rohit and Virat’s upcoming outing

Rohit and Virat will now be seen in action during India’s next ODI assignment against New Zealand, which will take place next year in January. With Rohit and Kohli so close in the rankings, the upcoming series will be closely watched as the two continue their battle for the No.1 position.