Gill finishes first. He starts the contest 47 rating points ahead of Mitchell, and the schedule gives both men the same two innings, which hands the advantage to the man already in front. India’s five-wicket win in Auckland on 4 November saw Gill make 37, while Mitchell scored 28 before a run-out by Rohit Sharma ended his innings. Unless Mitchell produces a burst like his January one, the top spot stays where it is, and nothing so far suggests otherwise.
Published on 4 November, ahead of the first game, the latest ICC list keeps Gill at the top with 841. Mitchell holds second place on 794. Kohli is third with 781, and Rohit completes the top four with 770. Only 71 points separate first from fourth, which is a tight band for four batters.
Career numbers explain the split. Gill’s figures, up to 30 September, read 3,712 ODI runs at an average of 65.12, including 11 centuries. Mitchell’s, up to 16 July, show 2,811 runs at 57.36 with nine centuries. The ratings in the table predate the first game, while the run totals are series figures after one match.
Neither batter is in his side’s plans beyond the third game, so Gill and Mitchell each get two more innings, at Wellington (7 November) and Hamilton (10 November). Gill then turns to India’s Test preparation, and the last two matches, on 13 and 15 November, are at Tauranga’s Bay Oval under Shreyas Iyer. Mitchell also leaves the home squad for those matches. Both therefore exit the contest long before it ends.
To overtake Gill, Mitchell must outgain him by 48 points over two innings. His January surge proves it can happen, and his record against India is formidable, with an average of 74.10 and four hundreds from 13 ODIs before this tour. In practice that means roughly a 24-point swing per innings, a tall order against a batter in form. Even so, the plan needs Gill to stumble.
Ratings behave like a rolling average, so a lone innings seldom moves a batter much, but a cluster of big scores can. Mitchell added 61 points in a single week in January, climbing from 784 to 845 after scores of 131 not out and 137 versus India. That is why a short run of big scores can leapfrog a rival while one century barely registers.
Gill’s climb has been steadier: 801 on 29 July became 841 on 3 November, a 40-point rise that contains his unbeaten 223 versus West Indies. Gill’s rise came over three months, whereas Mitchell’s came in seven days. Because so few innings remain, one huge score is Mitchell’s only realistic route.
Kohli sits 60 points back. His 74 from 51 balls was the standout knock of the opening game. He is named in all five squads, which is not true of Gill or Mitchell, so four innings remain for him. At 781, he is 13 points behind Mitchell.
Rohit is 71 adrift after being dismissed for 0 in Auckland. At 770, he is the lowest of the four, and a duck is a poor way to open a campaign. Both are long shots, but Kohli’s extra innings make him the likelier disruptor if the leaders slip.
His 47-point cushion, an equal number of remaining innings, and better recent form tell the story. His 2026 form is the strongest on offer: 894 runs from ten ODI innings, a 127.71 average, measured to 30 September. Mitchell’s best case needs two huge innings at the same time as Gill struggles. That combination is possible, but it is unlikely.
Mitchell would need an eruption like January’s, and the official ratings do not yet reflect the opening game. In the NZ vs India ODI series Mitchell Gill rankings contest, the most likely outcome is still Gill at No.1. Kohli’s four remaining innings give him the next best chance.
Can Mitchell find another January-style burst, or does Gill hold the top spot? Tell us in the comments.
Which batter sits on top of the ICC ODI rankings right now?
Shubman Gill is number one with 841 rating points. That figure comes from the 4 November update, issued before the first game, and it leaves him 47 clear of Mitchell.
What is Daryl Mitchell’s current ODI rating?
He has 794, which puts him second. That is 47 behind Gill, with Kohli on 781 and Rohit Sharma on 770, while Mitchell held the top spot from January until late July.
How good is Mitchell’s career average in ODIs?
He averages 57.36 across 62 ODIs, having scored 2,811 runs by 16 July 2026. Against India, his average stood at 74.10 when the tour began, which shows how well he handles this opposition.
How many matches does the contest between the Kiwis and India include?
Five ODIs are scheduled. Auckland staged the opener on 4 November, Wellington follows on 7 November, then Hamilton three days later, before Tauranga hosts on 13 and 15 November.
Who captains the two teams during the ODIs?
Gill captains India in the first three games, and Iyer takes charge for the last pair. Mitchell Santner is New Zealand’s skipper throughout, so the captain’s role stays separate from the batting duel.
