Rohit Sharma Climbs to Second in ICC ODI Rankings, Closes in on Babar Azam
Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma has risen to second place in the ICC ODI rankings, closing the gap on Pakistan’s white-ball captain, Babar Azam. Despite Babar’s strong lead at the top, he now faces renewed competition from Rohit and Sri Lankan right-hander Pathum Nissanka.
Rohit’s ascent in the rankings follows his impressive series against Sri Lanka, where he scored a series-best 157 runs. This performance allowed him to surpass his teammate Shubman Gill. Nissanka also made significant strides, moving up to eighth place after scoring 101 runs in the same series.
Sri Lanka made history by defeating India in an ODI series for the first time since 1997, with several of their players making gains in the latest rankings. Kusal Mendis moved up five places to joint 39th, while Avishka Fernando jumped 20 places to 68th on the list of ODI batters.
Other notable movers in the ODI rankings include Netherlands’ opener Max O’Dowd, who climbed 10 places to 54th, and the USA’s Monank Patel, who advanced 11 places to joint 56th. Among the bowlers, Sri Lankan spinner Dunith Wellalage surged 17 places to 59th, while the USA’s Nosthush Kenjige rose 10 places to 49th.
In the latest Test player rankings, South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma achieved a new career-high, 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 also made significant gains, climbing 29 places to 85th following his impressive 78 in the first innings of the ICC World Test Championship match.
From the West Indies side, Jason Holder moved up three spots to 67th, and Alick Athanaze climbed 12 places to 76th among the Test batters. South African spinner Keshav Maharaj was the standout performer among Test bowlers, moving up seven places to joint 21st after taking four wickets in each innings and earning Player of the Match honors.
West Indies spinner Jomel Warrican also saw significant improvement, climbing 12 spots to 54th and achieving a new career-best rating after his six-wicket performance in the match.
