The absence of two cricket giants, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, from the ICC Men’s ODI Rankings left Indian Cricket fans stunned. Soon, both of these players were nowhere to be seen in the top 100 listing, which caused confusion and anger, and a certain number of wild guesses on social media within a relatively brief period of time. Within a matter of hours, the ICC issued declarations that the exclusion was not a decision but a result of a technical error. Nevertheless, the entire affair caused people to consider the significance of the ranking, as well as the value of Kohli and Sharma to the Indian cricket.
A Sudden Disturbance!
ICC weekly rankings update captures the role of players that rise and fall based on their recent performances. This week was, however, not the normal report. The fans were surprised at the fact that the names of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma did not feature on the ODI batting charts. Neither of the two was ranked in the very top 100 in spite of playing in India on the Champions Trophy earlier this year.
no virat kohli & rohit sharma in the top 10 icc odi rankingsđź’€ only these two are missing…. what's happening- pic.twitter.com/r7XKxutESr
— ` (@cupc4ke77) August 20, 2025
This was an outrageous error. Rohit remains the first and only batsman to score three double centuries in ODIs, and Kohli stands third on the list of run-scorers in ODIS with 14,181 runs. Did the ICC intend to remove them? Were they having their records reviewed? These were the questions that dominated fan debates and news on August 19th.
ICC’s Clarification Ahead of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s Exclusion from the ODI Rankings:
As this news broke out, the ICC issued a formal statement explaining that a data integration problem in the rankings system was the reason why Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were left off the list. The governing body alleges that the inability to update player information took place during the update of the player information after South Africa had played the ODI match with Australia, which was completed. They explained that selectors left out some players, such as Rohit and Kohli: The rankings did not match properly.
An ICC spokesperson admitted the mistake. “There was an error in our rankings tables today, but it has been rectified,” the official said. [Source: Hindustan Times].
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s ICC ODI Rankings were restored by the evening; however, it is noteworthy that they are now ranked lower than in prior years. Given their few ODI performances in recent months, Rohit is ranked 2nd, while Kohli is ranked 4th.
Absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from ODIs:
Discussions on Rohit and Kohli’s diminishing participation in the ODI format also reignited. Both these players have played a minimal number of ODI matches since the 2023 ODI World Cup ended in India.
- Virat Kohli’s Last ODI was on March against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy. During this match, he made just 1 run and Bracewell dismissed him. Despite these figures, he scored 218 runs averaging 54.50 and a strike rate of 82.89 in the Champions Trophy.
- Rohit Sharma also played his last ODI against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, and this time it was Rohit Sharma who scored a match-winning knock in this final; the player of the match award was given to Rohit Sharma. He scored 76 in 83 balls. Rohit Sarma scored 180 runs in this Champions Trophy, through which he got an average of 36.00 with a strike rate of 100.00.
Is Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s Era Going to End?
Though the mistake with the rankings only lasted for a short time period, it brought to light one larger truth: are Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma nearing their final days in ODI cricket? Because they have already called it a day in T20 and ODIs. Whether these two legends will appear in the upcoming series of India vs Australia ODIs is the question.
The removal of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the ICC ODI rankings was one of the technological blunders that shook the cricketing world momentarily. Although their names have since been reinstated, the episode highlighted the realities of the generational changeover going on in cricket as well as the instability of ranking systems.
Indeed, Kohli and Rohit might not be as dominant in the ODI tables anymore as they were, but one must admit they have left their mark on the game. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma shall live on in the memories of their billions of cricket fans as people to be proud of. This can be a mere technical fault, but this is a wake-up call that even as the two cricket giants are approaching the ned of their cricket careers, they will always be remembered in the history of the game of cricket through their achievements in the game.
Vibhor Gautam 
SportspediaZone