India’s vice-captain Shubman Gill has dethroned Pakistan’s Babar Azam to claim the top spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Rankings for batters. The announcement, made by the ICC on Wednesday, comes just ahead of the much-anticipated start of the Champions Trophy in Karachi, where Pakistan is set to face New Zealand.
Gill’s rise to No. 1 is the result of his stellar performances in India’s recent 3-0 series victory against England. During the series, the 25-year-old scored two fifties and a century, with his match-winning 100 in Ahmedabad during the third ODI being a standout. With 796 rating points, Gill now leads Babar Azam, who holds 773 points.
“This is a significant shift at the top of the rankings, adding an intriguing storyline to the Champions Trophy, which kicks off in Pakistan and Dubai,” the ICC said. This marks the second time Gill has reached the No. 1 ranking, having briefly overtaken Babar during the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, remains in the third spot with 761 points, while South Africa’s Henrich Klaasen and New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell round out the top five.
In addition to the changes in the batting rankings, there were significant updates in the ODI bowling standings. Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana has climbed to the No. 1 position, surpassing Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan. Theekshana’s impressive four-wicket haul against Australia earlier this year helped him achieve this feat. Despite Sri Lanka’s absence from the Champions Trophy, Theekshana’s rise to the top follows his excellent form in recent series, including a 2-0 whitewash of Australia.
Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan captain, now sits in second place, just 11 points behind Theekshana. Meanwhile, India’s Kuldeep Yadav continues to impress, moving up to fourth, while South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj and New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner have also gained ground in the rankings.
In the all-rounder rankings, Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi retains his position as the top-ranked player, with Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai, Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Rashid Khan following closely behind.
As the Champions Trophy approaches, these developments in the rankings set the stage for a thrilling few weeks of international cricket.
(With PTI Inputs)