Top 5 batters with most days as No. 1 in ODI history ft. Virat Kohli

Shubman Gill became the world number one batter in the ICC ODI Rankings earlier today (November 8). He dethroned Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who had been at the top of the ODI batting charts for more than two years.

Azam attained the number one position back in April 2021, dethroning Virat Kohli at the top. The Pakistan skipper's performances have declined of late, while Shubman Gill has been unstoppable in the 50-over format. Gill finally overtook Azam in the rankings today.

The Pakistan captain was at the helm for 952 days, but he does not feature in the top five batters with the most days as the world number one in ODI cricket.

Here's a look at the elite list.

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#5 Michael Bevan - 1392 days

Former Australian batter Michael Bevan was at the top of the rankings for 1392 days during his career. Notably, Bevan held the top position for 1392 consecutive days.

The left-handed batter attained the number one position on January 22, 1999. His consistent performances in the 50-over format meant that Bevan held on to the top spot until July 3, 2002. He was one of the biggest match-winners for the Australian cricket team.

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#4 AB de Villiers - 1480 days

Former South African skipper AB de Villiers was famous for destroying the opposition bowling lineups with his 360-degree hitting skills. Nicknamed as Mr. 360, de Villiers would score runs at an extraordinary strike rate for South Africa.

Thanks to his consistent showing, de Villiers was at the top of the rankings for 1480 days. He retired from international cricket in 2018 at the peak of his career.

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#3 Virat Kohli - 1493 days

AB de Villiers' close friend and ex Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate Virat Kohli owns the third position on this list. The star Indian batter has had multiple stints as the world number one batter in the ICC ODI Rankings.

Kohli has held the top spot for a total of 1493 days, which is just 13 more than the fourth-placed de Villiers. It is pertinent to note that out of those 1483 days, 1258 were consecutive ones from October 22, 2017 to April 1, 2021.

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#2 Viv Richards - 1748 days

Former West Indies batter Viv Richards owns the world record for being at the top of the ICC ODI Rankings for the most consecutive days. He was at the helm of the batting charts for 1748 days during the peak of his career.

All 1748 days were consecutive days, starting from January 8, 1984 to October 20, 1988. He tormented almost every bowling unit he played against, and this record proves the same.

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#1 Brian Lara - 2104 days

The all-time record for spending the most days at the top of the ICC ODI Rankings for batters belongs to former West Indies captain Brian Lara. The Caribbean legend is the only one to have spent more than 2000 days at the top.

Out of those 2104 days, 1049 days were consecutive ones from March 9, 1996 to January 21, 1999. He played his last ODI in 2007. Sixteen years have passed, but no batter has come close to breaking his record.