In a surprising twist, Virat Kohli became the talk of the cricket world again on Wednesday, July 16. Despite announcing his retirement from T20 Internationals on June 29, 2024, Kohli’s T20I rating suddenly increased, going from 897 to 909 in the latest ICC rankings update. ICC updates Kohli’s highest T20I rating to 909! 🔥He’s now the only Indian ever to breach 900+ in all three formats 🇮🇳🏏 pic.twitter.com/T89l5cEx2O — CricketGully (@thecricketgully) July 16, 2025 This surprised many fans and experts, especially since Kohli hasn’t played a T20I in over a year. So, how did his rating improve after retirement? Also Read | West Indies Cricket in Crisis: What Needs to Change Immediately How ICC’s Ranking Revisions Boosted Kohli’s T20I Rating The solution is in the ICC's routine practice of going over past match results and rewriting their ranking system. Periodically, the ICC re-evaluates previous matches, corrects any inaccuracies in match information, and revises the method of calculating rating points for performances. This is known as historical revision. Whether a player is retired or active or not is immaterial, earlier performance of any player can be re-rated. So, even though Kohli has played no recent T20I, earlier his games could have been re-rated and led to the 12-point hike. These changes are not based on new on-field performances but are results of behind-the-scenes calculation and analysis. Even though such changes never gain attention, this time it did for a good reason. With the fresh rating, Kohli becomes the first player in cricket history to have breached the 900-rating mark in all three formats, Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. That's a unique and unthinkable achievement, reflecting how superior he was during his peak times. The other players also experienced some adjustments in ratings in this update. But the 12-points jump by Virat Kohli had the most impact, not only due to the figures, but due to what they symbolize. Although the rise was post-retirement, the figures are real and officially acknowledged by the ICC. It indicates that great players don't get forgotten, even years after they've hung up their boots.