Virat Kohli closes in on top-spot in ICC ODI rankings, Rohit Sharma follows
Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has made significant progress in his quest to reclaim the top spot in the ICC ODI Player Rankings. Kohli, who delivered an outstanding performance in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, scoring 765 runs, has moved up one place to third in the latest rankings.
With just 35 rating points separating him from teammate Shubman Gill, who holds the top position with 826 rating points, Kohli is closing in on the top spot.
Despite Gill's narrow lead, Pakistan captain Babar Azam remains in second place with 824 rating points. Kohli's rise has pushed South Africa's Quinton de Kock down to fifth place, while India's captain Rohit Sharma has moved up one spot to fourth with 769 rating points. Kohli and Rohit Sharma emerged as the leading run-scorers in the World Cup, with Kohli breaking the record for the most ODI centuries.
During the World Cup, Kohli reached triple figures on three occasions, securing 791 rating points in the process. Gill and Babar, with 826 and 824 rating points respectively, are still at the top, but Kohli and Rohit are within striking distance following their stellar performances in the tournament.
Kohli held the No.1 ranking for an impressive 1258 consecutive days between 2017 and 2021. Babar had been in the top position in recent years until Gill claimed the spot during the World Cup. The rise of Kohli and Rohit has added excitement to the ODI batter rankings.
Australia's Travis Head has made a significant leap in the rankings, climbing 28 places to 15th after his brilliant century in the World Cup final. South Africa's Quinton de Kock drops to fifth, while New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell rises to sixth after scoring 552 runs in the tournament.
In the ODI bowler rankings, South Africa's Keshav Maharaj maintains his position at the top. Australia's Josh Hazlewood has risen four places to second, and Mitchell Starc has jumped eight spots to 12th. Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, has improved seven places to 27th. Indian bowlers Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah remain in the top 10. Kuldeep Yadav has dropped one spot to equal sixth.
In the ODI rankings for all-rounders, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan continues to lead comfortably. New Zealand's Mitchell Santner drops to seventh, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz of Bangladesh rises to ninth.
Virat Kohli has made a push to dethrone his compatriot as the No.1 ODI batter 👀
— ICC (@ICC) November 22, 2023
The latest changes in the @MRFWorldwide ICC Men's Player Rankings following the conclusion of #CWC23 👇https://t.co/RYJbtXlMD2
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Leopard spotted near Kadri Manjunath Temple in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: A leopard was spotted in Doctors’ Colony near the Kadri Manjunath Temple area in Mangaluru in the early hours of Monday, February 23, creating anxiety among residents of the locality.
According to local residents, the animal was spotted in the CCTV footage of two cameras installed in the locality around 1 am near the entrance gate of Doctors’ Colony. The footage shows the leopard walking calmly in front of the gate before moving out of view.
The sighting has come as a surprise as the area is largely urbanised, with apartment complexes and villa-type houses dominating the surroundings. Except for a small patch of forested land above the Kadri temple area, there is little greenery nearby. Residents say the concrete landscape offers limited scope for wild animals to find food.
This is not the first time wild animals have been spotted in the locality. Two years ago, a wild gaur had entered the same area and was later guided back into the forest through Shaktinagar. Just last week, a smaller leopard was sighted in Shaktinagar and was also captured on CCTV cameras. Now, a bigger leopard has been recorded near Kadri.
So far, no one has reported a direct sighting of the animal, and no formal complaint has been lodged with the Forest Department.
Forest Department officials said leopard movement is common during the months of January and February, as the animals often enter human settlements in search of food. In areas near forests, they usually prey on poultry and stray dogs.
Officials added that leopards are capable of travelling 15 to 20 kilometres in a single night and generally do not remain in one place if they are unable to find food. While sightings are more common in forest-fringe areas such as Bajpe and Neermarga, repeated appearances within core city limits this time have caused concern among residents.
