Shubman Gill Leaves Kohli Behind! India’s Young Star Climbs to No. 2 in ODI Rankings No. 1 Now Within Reach?

Indian cricket’s next big superstar is knocking loudly on the door of greatness.

In a major milestone for his rapidly rising career, Shubman Gill has overtaken Virat Kohli to become the world’s No. 2 ODI batter in the latest ICC rankings, marking another huge moment in his journey as India’s batting torchbearer.

The jump comes after Gill’s sensational performances in the recently concluded ODI series against Afghanistan, where he delivered two standout innings — an unbeaten 84 and a magnificent 154 — helping India dominate the series.

Those knocks have rewarded him with a three-place jump in the rankings, pushing him ahead of senior star Virat Kohli, who slipped to third.

Kohli’s drop, however, comes under unique circumstances.

The former Indian captain missed the Afghanistan series due to a hamstring injury, which meant he had no opportunity to defend his ranking points. The good news for Indian fans is that Kohli is expected to make his return in the upcoming ODI series against England.

But for now, the spotlight firmly belongs to Gill.

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The 26-year-old opener has been in extraordinary form across formats and continues to strengthen his case as one of the most consistent batters in world cricket.

What makes this rise even more exciting is how close he now is to the summit.

Gill is currently just 24 rating points behind New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell, who sits at No. 1 in the ODI rankings. With a strong performance in the England series, Gill could very well become the top-ranked ODI batter in the world for the first time in his career.

For Indian cricket, this signals a changing of the guard — not as a replacement for legends like Kohli, but as the emergence of a new pillar in the batting lineup.

Gill’s calm temperament, elegant strokeplay, and hunger for big scores have already made him one of the most feared batters in white-ball cricket.

And if his recent form is any indication, this might just be the beginning.

With England next on the calendar and the race for the No. 1 ranking heating up, all eyes will now be on whether Gill can complete the climb and claim the throne.