Indian opener Rohit Sharma has reached the top spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings for the first time in his career after some good performances in the three-match series in Australia.
Rohit, who followed his knock of 73 in the second ODI in Adelaide with a match-winning unbeaten 121 in Sydney and was named player of the series, edged ahead of captain Shubman Gill and Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran to score 781, 17 more than second-placed Zadran and third-placed Gill’s 745. Rohit’s previous best was second place, which he first achieved in July 2018.
Ibrahim Zadran briefly becomes the first from Afghanistan to top the ODI batting rankings:
Meanwhile, Ibrahim became the first Afghan batsman to ever top the ODI batting rankings – briefly between the second and third ODIs in Australia when Gill fell behind him and Rohit failed to move to the top.
India vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, who scored 61 in the second game before getting injured in the third, has moved up one place to ninth, while a number of bowlers also moved up the rankings following the series.
Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has moved up two places to eighth, leg-spinner Adam Zampa has moved up two places to 12th, while Indian spinners Axar Patel (up six places to 31st) and Washington Sunder (up 22 places to 73rd) have moved up.
Another notable change is that England captain Harry Brook moved up 23 places to a career-best 25th with 135 off 101 balls in the first ODI against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui.
In the Test rankings, Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel (one place to 12th) and captain Shan Masood (five places to 42nd) move up the batting rankings, while South Africa’s Tony de Zorzi moves up seven places to 47th.
South African spinner Keshav Maharaj has moved up nine places to 13th place after contributing nine wickets to the win in the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. Simon Harmer’s six for 50 in the second innings helped him move up 26 places to 45th.
