Match-Winning Century Propels Former India Skipper to Top Spot for First Time
DUBAI, UAE: Former Indian captain Rohit Sharma has climbed to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings for the first time in his illustrious career, following a match-winning century in the third and final One-Day International against Australia.
The veteran opener’s rise displaces his teammate, current India skipper Shubman Gill, who slipped two places to third in the latest rankings update. Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran retained his second spot, while Pakistan’s Babar Azam continued to hold his position at fourth.
Sharma’s ascent to the world number one position is a significant career milestone, coming after his decisive knock that secured a series victory for India.
In other notable movements among Pakistani batters, Mohammad Rizwan rose one place to 24th with 592 points, and Imam-ul-Haq also moved up a spot to 40th. Young batsman Saim Ayub improved his ranking by one place to 53rd, whereas Salman Ali Agha dropped to 39th. Abdullah Shafique maintained his 97th position.
In the bowlers’ rankings, Afghanistan’s leg-spinner Rashid Khan continues to lead the chart, followed by South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj in second place and Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana in third.
For Pakistan, pacer Shaheen Afridi climbed one spot to 14th with 593 points, while Haris Rauf remained steady at 30th. Spinner Abrar Ahmed gained one position to 38th with 502 points, and Naseem Shah moved up to 43rd. However, spin-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz fell three places to 72nd with 427 points.
In the ICC ODI all-rounders rankings, Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai continues to lead, followed by Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza in second and veteran Mohammad Nabi in third.
Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha climbed one place to 19th in the all-rounders list, with Shaheen Afridi retaining his 27th position. Naseem Shah holds the 36th spot, and both Haris Rauf and Saim Ayub made progress, each moving up one place to jointly occupy the 55th position with 128 points.
