Rohit Sharma tops ICC Men’s ODI batting rankings for the first time

India opener Rohit Sharma has climbed to the No. 1 spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings for the first time, surpassing Shubman Gill and Ibrahim Zadran after stellar knocks in the Australia series. Several Indian players also improved their rankings

Hyderabad: India opener Rohit Sharma has attained the No. 1 position in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings for the first time in his career after a series of fine performances in the three-match series in Australia.

Rohit, who followed up his knock of 73 in the second ODI in Adelaide with a match-winning unbeaten 121 in Sydney to be named Player of the Series, has moved ahead of captain Shubman Gill and Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran to reach 781 rating points — 17 more than second-placed Zadran, with Gill third at 745. Rohit’s previous best was the second position, which he first achieved in July 2018.

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Meanwhile, Ibrahim became the first Afghanistan batter to ever top the ODI batting rankings — briefly between the second and third ODIs in Australia, when Gill dropped below him and Rohit had not yet surged to the top.

India vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, who struck 61 in the second match before getting injured in the third, has moved up one slot to ninth position, while several bowlers also advanced in the rankings after the series.

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is up two places to eighth, leg-spinner Adam Zampa is up two places to 12th, while India spinners Axar Patel (up six places to 31st) and Washington Sundar (up 22 places to 73rd) have also progressed.

In another notable change, England captain Harry Brook’s 135 off 101 balls in the first ODI against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui has lifted him 23 places to a career-best 25th position.

In the Test rankings, Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel (up one place to 12th) and captain Shan Masood (up five places to 42nd) have moved up the batting list, while South Africa’s Tony de Zorzi is up seven places to 47th.

South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj is up nine places to 13th after helping win the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi with a match haul of nine wickets. Simon Harmer’s six for 50 in the second innings helped him gain 26 places to 45th position.