Pakistan batter, Babar Azam, is only three rating points away from reclaiming the number 1 spot in the ICC Men’s ODI batting rankings
However, Now Shubman Gill (826 points) continues to lead the way in the batting rankings after dethroning Babar Azam (824 points).
In the latest rankings update on Wednesday, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the key figures in India’s batting lineup, have moved up the ranks. Kohli now holds the 3rd spot with 791 points, while Rohit Sharma is right behind at 4th place with 769 points. This reflects a one-spot rise for both Indian players in the batting rankings.
In the latest ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, Kohli showcased his top form by scoring an impressive 765 runs, securing the title of the tournament’s highest run-scorer. This stellar performance propelled the talented right-handed batsman to climb one spot in the latest rankings, placing him at third. Notably, he is now just 35 rating points away from his teammate Shubman Gill.
Kohli surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most ODI centuries at the World Cup by reaching triple figures three times. Meanwhile, Rohit scored an impressive 597 runs, making him and Kohli the top two run-scorers of the tournament.
With Gill managing a reasonable output of 354 runs during the event and Babar just 320 runs as Pakistan failed to reach the knockout stages of the tournament, it paved the way for Kohli and Rohit to make their run on the top ranking.
Kohli enjoyed an impressive stint as the No.1 ranked player for an impressive 1258 consecutive days, reigning supreme for nearly four years from 2017 to 2021. Babar held the top spot for the most part in the recent years until Gill took over as the leader during the World Cup.
The rise of the India duo means South Africa opener Quinton de Kock drops two spots to fifth on the ODI batter rankings, with New Zealand right-hander Daryl Mitchell rising five spots to sixth on the back of his 552 runs at the World Cup.
The biggest eye-catcher on the updated ODI batter rankings is Travis Head, with the Australia opener jumping a massive 28 places to 15th overall after his brilliant century and Player of the Match performance in the World Cup final.
South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj remains on top on the updated ODI bowler rankings, with a host of Australia players making some good ground after their successful World Cup campaign.
Experienced seamer Josh Hazlewood rises four places to second overall, fellow quick Mitchell Starc jumps eight spots to 12th, while skipper Pat Cummins improves seven rungs to 27th.
India pair Mohammed Siraj (third) and Jasprit Bumrah (fourth) remain firmly nestled within the top 10 for ODI bowlers, while teammate Kuldeep Yadav drops one spot to equal sixth.
Meanwhile, Shaheen Afridi, who was previously ranked number 10th, improved his ranking by one rank and is now in the ninth spot.
After the conclusion of the World Cup, the top 10 ODI rankings for all-rounders haven’t seen significant shifts. Bangladesh’s seasoned player, Shakib Al Hasan, continues to hold a comfortable lead at the top.