Daryl Mitchell climbs to No. 1 in ICC ODI batting rankings; Bavuma, Abrar and Kuldeep record career-best gains

Daryl Mitchell has become the first New Zealand player since 1979 to top the ICC ODI batting rankings. The weekly update also features major gains for Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed, South Africa’s Temba Bavuma, and India’s Kuldeep Yadav across formats, according to ICC.

Hyderabad: Daryl Mitchell has become the first player from New Zealand since Glenn Turner in 1979 to top the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings after his match-winning century against the West Indies in their series opener in Christchurch, according to an ICC media release on Wednesday.

The 34-year-old’s 118-ball knock of 119 that won him the Player of the Match award, has helped him overtake Ibrahim Zadran of Afghanistan and edge past Rohit Sharma of India by just one rating point. Rohit’s first reign at the top lasted only 22 days.

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While Turner was the last New Zealand player at the top of the ODI batting rankings 46 years ago, players like Nathan Astle, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson have reached as high as number three in the table.

Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam, who struck an unbeaten 102 in the second ODI against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi last week has moved up one slot to sixth position while Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman have gained five places each to reach 22nd and 26th positions, respectively, after slamming two half-centuries each against Sri Lanka.

Abrar Ahmed in top 10 for the first time: The ODI bowling rankings see Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed attain a career-best ninth position, gaining 11 slots after a three-wicket haul in the second ODI against Sri Lanka. Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf has moved up five places to 23rd while the West Indies’ Jayden Seales (up three places to 20th) and Roston Chase (up 12 places to 46th) have also advanced.

Bavuma, Yadav attain career bests: In the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has reached a career-best fifth position among batters after an unbeaten 55 in the second innings of the low-scoring Kolkata Test that his team won by 30 runs to go 1-0 up in the two-match ICC World Test Championship series.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer’s hauls of four for 30 and four for 21 at the Eden Gardens have lifted him 20 slots to a career-best 24th position while India spinners Kuldeep Yadav (up two places to a career-best 13th position) and Ravindra Jadeja (up four places to 15th) have also moved up the bowling list.

Bangladesh captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto (up four places to 34th) and Mahmudul Hasan Joy (up 19 places to 74th) prosper after their centuries in an innings victory over Ireland in Sylhet. Ireland’s Paul Stirling has progressed from 96th to 80th position.

In the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, New Zealander Tim Robinson’s knock of 45 in the final match against the West Indies has helped him move up eight places to a career-best 15th position and seam bowler Jacob Duffy has inched up from third to second position. Mitchell Santner (up five places to 18th) and Mohammad Nawaz (up four places to 27th) are among others to progress.