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How to tune into Sport Nation'It's pretty special': Daryl Mitchell steps into rare air as World No. 1
Sport Nation • November 21st, 2025 10:47 am
Daryl Mitchell | Photo: Photosport
Daryl Mitchell’s rise to No. 1 in the men’s ODI batting rankings is a moment that lands with the weight of New Zealand cricketing history.
His 119 off 118 balls against the West Indies in Christchurch pushed him past India’s Rohit Sharma and made him the first New Zealander in 46 years to reach the top of the ODI batting world, only the second ever after Glenn Turner.
For Mitchell, the achievement is less about numbers and more about what the fern on his chest represents.
"It’s pretty special and especially to be with Glenn Turner as the only other New Zealand to do it,” he said, taking in the scale of the moment.
There’s no mystique around what drives him, just a fierce loyalty to the Blackcaps and a grounded appreciation for the career that at one point, he never assumed would happen.
“I love playing for New Zealand. I say it all the time, but it means a hell of a lot to represent our country and to do it across all three formats is pretty cool. When I was younger, I probably didn't think it was gonna happen at one stage.
“So I guess to be able to do it and be living your dream, I'm just having fun out there and getting stuck into each moment that presents.”
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Those around the team, Blackcaps assistant Jacob Oram, often talk about his reputation as a pressure magnet, the player who moves toward the contest rather than away from it. Mitchell knows that edge doesn’t come from technique alone.
“As you get older you probably put more emphasis on the mental piece than you do the technical piece,” he said.
“I’m a competitor, that’s what drives me, getting stuck into contests and I find that fun. But we've got a number of world class players around me that makes it a lot easier as well.”
He won’t play the third ODI in Hamilton, but his eyes are on the Test opener in Christchurch on December 2.
“That's the aim, that's the goal… The good thing about being able to park up at first slip is you don't have to do as much running as a T20 at long on,” he laughed.
“We’ll do everything we can over the next two weeks to be ready to go and hopefully I'll be out at Hagley Oval.”
A milestone 46 years in the making - Mitchell has stepped into rare air. But true to form, he’s already looking ahead to the next contest.
Listen to the full interview:
Join Sport Nation’s award-winning commentary team for live ball-by-ball coverage of the Blackcaps vs West Indies - the third ODI from Hamilton’s Seddon Park, Saturday from 1.25pm
