Daryl Mitchell topples Virat Kohli for top spot in ICC ODI rankings
Dubai (PTI): Indian superstar Virat Kohli was on Wednesday displaced from the top spot by New Zealand swashbuckler Daryl Mitchell in the latest ICC ODI rankings for batters following the latter's stupendous run of form in the just-concluded series.
New Zealand won the series 1-2, their first on Indian soil in the ODI format, to end a 37-year wait.
Mitchell scored two hundreds during the rubber and the 34-year-old also became the fourth-fastest male to nine one-day international hundreds, in just his 54th innings, sitting behind only Imam-ul-Haq (48), Hashim Amla (52) and Quinton de Kock (53).
The Hamilton product is in the form of his life, scoring 352 runs across the three-game series. His series total was the most ever by a New Zealander in a three-match ODI series and the third-most of all time, behind only Pakistan's Babar Azam (360 against the West Indies in 2016) and India's Shubman Gill (360 against New Zealand in 2023).
"With 845 ranking points, he aptly replaces Kohli (795 points) who drops to No.2 on the list in the latest rankings release. The pair sit well clear of a chasing pack that includes Ibrahim Zadran, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Babar Azam," the ICC said in a statement.
It is the second time Mitchell has held the No.1 ranking in ODI cricket, but his previous spell at the top only lasted three days last November before he was overtaken by Rohit.
Only South African AB de Villiers has more ODI centuries in India against India (five) than Mitchell now does (four).
In 54 innings, Mitchell is yet to record an ODI duck, which is the second-longest all-time streak, behind only Kepler Wessels, who was astonishingly never removed for naught across his 105 ODI innings between 1983 and 1994.
The son of notable rugby coach John, who is currently in charge of England's World Cup-winning women's side, Mitchell toiled for much of his 20s, accumulating over 200 games worth of domestic experience in his homeland.
Other notable movement
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Behind Mitchell and Kohli, Afghanistan's Zadran (third, 764 ranking points) swaps spots with India's Rohit (fourth, 757).
Glenn Phillips and Mitchell combined for a 219-run stand in their series-sealing win in Indore, the second-highest partnership in New Zealand's ODI history. Phillips blasted 106 runs off 88 balls, seeing him climb 16 places up to 20th.
Phillips also rises 14 spots to equal-31st on the list for ODI all-rounders, which Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai remains at the top of.
New Zealand's Michael Bracewell was the big mover in the ODI bowling rankings, jumping six spots to 33rd after his returns in the first two games of the India series.
The top of the bowling ranks remain unchanged, with Afghanistan star Rashid Khan (710 points) remaining the clear frontrunner ahead of England speedster Jofra Archer (670 points).
Rashid also moved up two spots to second on the latest rankings for T20I bowlers, following his two-wicket haul for Afghanistan in the opening match of their series against the West Indies in Dubai.
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Three new cubs born to Cheetah Gamini in MP's Kuno Park; India's count rises to 38
Sheopur (MP) (PTI): Cheetah 'Gamini' has given birth to three cubs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, taking the number of these big cats in India to 38, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Wednesday.
Describing it as a "roaring" success of the government's ambitious Cheetah re-introduction programme, Yadav said it is a powerful symbol of the country’s determined and historic conservation effort.
Gamini was translocated to India from South Africa as part of the ambitious project launched in September 2022 to revive the population of the world's fastest land animal in India, which had gone extinct decades ago.
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Yadav, in a post on X, said, “Kuno welcomes three new cubs - A roaring new chapter at Kuno on the occasion of completion of 3 years of arrival of cheetahs from South Africa. Celebrations echo through Kuno National Park as Gamini, the South African cheetah and second-time mother, has brought 3 new cubs into the world."
This joyful arrival marks the ninth successful cheetah litter on Indian soil and takes the number of surviving Indian-born cubs to 27, he said.
With these newest additions, India's total cheetah population has now reached 38 - a powerful symbol of the country's determined and historic conservation effort, Yadav highlighted.
Each birth strengthens the foundation of Project Cheetah and reflects the passion, perseverance, and round-the-clock dedication of the field staff and veterinary teams who have nurtured this dream into reality, he said.
"A moment of pride for Kuno, and for India—may Gamini and her three little sprinters grow strong and carry the nation’s cheetah revival story forward with speed and grace," the minister added.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav noted that Madhya Pradesh is a powerful centre for cheetah reintroduction.
This is a historic achievement for the entire country in the direction of wildlife conservation, biodiversity, and environmental balance, the CM said in a post on X.
It is a matter of immense joy that under Project Cheetah, the female cheetah ‘Gamini’ who arrived from South Africa has given birth to three cubs, he said.
"With the completion of three years of cheetahs’ arrival at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district, this is the 9th successful birth (of a litter). The total number of cheetahs in India has now increased to 38," Yadav added.
Earlier this month, cheetah Aasha, translocated to India from Namibia, gave birth to five cubs in KNP.
