Indian captain Rohit Sharma has surged to second place in the ICC ODI rankings, drawing closer to Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam.
Babar Azam still holds a commanding lead at the top, but he now faces increasing competition from Rohit and Sri Lankan right-hander Pathum Nissanka.
Rohit’s rise in the rankings comes after an impressive series against Sri Lanka, where he scored a series-best 157 runs, surpassing his teammate Shubman Gill. Nissanka also made significant strides, moving up to eighth place following his 101 runs in the same series.
Sri Lanka, in a historic achievement, ended a 27-year drought by defeating India for the first time since 1997 during the ODI series. Sri Lankan players Kusal Mendis and Avishka Fernando also made gains, with Mendis climbing five places to joint 39th and Fernando advancing 20 spots to 68th on the ODI batters’ list.
Further down the rankings, Netherlands opener Max O’Dowd jumped 10 places to 54th, while USA’s Monank Patel moved up 11 spots to joint 56th. In the ODI bowlers’ rankings, USA’s Nosthush Kenjige climbed 10 places to 49th, and Sri Lankan spinner Dunith Wellalage rose 17 spots to 59th.
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The latest ICC rankings also reflected movement in Test cricket, following the drawn match between West Indies and South Africa in Trinidad. South Africa’s captain, Temba Bavuma, achieved a career-high ranking, moving up two places to 16th on the Test batters’ list after scores of 86 and 15 against the West Indies. Opener Tony de Zorzi made a notable leap, climbing 29 places to 85th after scoring 78 in the first innings of the ICC World Test Championship match.
From the West Indies’ side, Jason Holder advanced three spots to 67th, and Alick Athanaze rose 12 places to 76th among Test batters. South African spinner Keshav Maharaj was a standout in the Test bowlers’ rankings, taking four wickets in each innings, which earned him Player of the Match honours and a seven-place jump to joint 21st.
West Indian spinner Jomel Warrican also made a significant move, climbing 12 spots to 54th with a new career-best rating after taking six wickets in the match.
