Fans Worried as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Missing from ICC ODI Rankings

Swift Summary

• Indian cricket stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were temporarily removed from the ICC ODI batting rankings, leading to widespread retirement speculation on social media.
• The disappearance was due to a technical glitch on ICC’s website, wich was later corrected. Both players were restored to their spots in the Top 10 rankings.
• Before the glitch, Sharma ranked No. 2 with 756 points, and Kohli held the No. 4 spot with 736 points in recent updates.
• Following the correction, Pakistan’s Babar Azam moved back to rank No. 3 behind Shubman Gill (No.1) and Rohit Sharma (No.2).
• Kohli and Sharma have not played international cricket since India’s Champions Trophy final loss against New Zealand in March after having retired from T20Is post the 2024 T20 World Cup and Tests earlier this year.
• Players are removed from ICC rankings if they do not play matches within qualifying periods or retire altogether.

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Indian Opinion Analysis

The brief removal of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from ICC ODI rankings highlights both fans’ undiminished interest in these veteran cricketers as well as broader sensitivities surrounding their eventual retirement plans-given their iconic statuses in Indian cricket history.

This incident underscores how technical errors or ranking methodologies could trigger public concern when applied to high-profile names but also serves as a reminder of how retiring legends often leave behind heightened emotions among fans.

From an operational perspective for India’s cricket team management, clarity on player availability for future tournaments like ODIs becomes increasingly critical given that both players have already retired from Tests and T20Is formats.