India’s star opener, Shubman Gill, has achieved a remarkable milestone in his ODI career by reaching a career-best second position in the ICC Men’s ODI Rankings. With 759 rating points to his name, Gill now stands just behind Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, in the latest update of the rankings, which was released on Wednesday.
Gill’s exceptional performance in the ongoing Asia Cup, where he has scored two half-centuries and accumulated a total of 154 runs, has propelled him to this career-high ranking. Notably, this is the first time since January 2019 that three Indian players find themselves in the top 10 of the ODI batting rankings.
The Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma, and the prolific Virat Kohli have also made significant gains in the rankings, each moving up two places. Rohit Sharma, who recently notched up a half-century against Sri Lanka, now occupies the eighth position, while Virat Kohli, who delivered an unbeaten 122-run performance against Pakistan, sits in the ninth position.
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This recent development in the rankings marks a significant achievement for Indian cricket, as the trio of Sharma, Kohli, and veteran left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan were the last Indian batters to be simultaneously featured in the top 10 rankings over four years ago. Additionally, in September 2018, these three players were among the top six batters in the ODI batting rankings.
Other Indian players have also made substantial progress in the rankings. KL Rahul has moved up 10 places to secure the 37th position, while Ishan Kishan has climbed two places to reach the 22nd position among ODI batters. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has gained five places to occupy the seventh position in the men’s ODI bowler rankings, thanks to his impressive performance of taking nine wickets in two Asia Cup matches.
Jasprit Bumrah, India’s fast-bowling spearhead, has also experienced a notable ascent, moving up eight places to secure the 27th position in the ODI rankings upon his return to the format. All-rounder Hardik Pandya has not only improved his position in the bowlers’ rankings by jumping 21 places to the 56th position but has also climbed four places to occupy the sixth position among all-rounders.
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In the case of Pakistan, three of their batters are among the top 10 in the batting rankings. While Babar Azam leads the list with a substantial lead of over 100 rating points, Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman currently hold the fifth and tenth positions, respectively.
In South Africa, captain Temba Bavuma’s remarkable performances have seen him move up 21 places to secure the 11th position in the ODI batting rankings. This represents a significant improvement from his previous best ranking of 25th.
Australian players, including David Warner (up one place to fourth), Travis Head (up six places to 20th), and Marnus Labuschagne (up 24 places to 45th), have also made significant strides in the batting rankings.
Among bowlers, New Zealand’s left-arm pacer Trent Boult has climbed to the joint-second position, while Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa has entered the top five of the bowling rankings for the first time after a commendable performance that included taking four wickets against South Africa.
Pakistan’s fast bowler Haris Rauf has made an impressive leap of eight spots, securing the 21st position, followed by his fellow pacer Naseem Shah, who has moved up 11 places to share the 51st position. South Africa’s spinners, Keshav Maharaj (up 10 places to 25th) and Tabraiz Shamsi (up 15 places to 29th), are among the bowlers who have experienced significant improvements in the rankings, with Australia’s pacer Josh Hazlewood leading the bowling rankings.
-IANS
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