Rohit Sharma’s return to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings was short-lived. Just 22 days after becoming the oldest player to reach No.1, the Indian opener has been overtaken by New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell, whose match-winning century against the West Indies propelled him to the top spot.
Mitchell Becomes First New Zealander Since 1979 to Reach No.1
Mitchell’s superb 119 off 118 balls in Christchurch not only earned him the Player of the Match award but also made history. He is now the first New Zealand player since Glenn Turner in 1979—46 years ago—to claim the No.1 ODI batting rank.
With that innings, the 34-year-old jumped ahead of Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran and edged past Rohit Sharma by a single rating point. Rohit had reclaimed the top spot only last month after a strong comeback in Australia.
Despite New Zealand producing top-class ODI batters like Nathan Astle, Ross Taylor, and Kane Williamson over the years, none had managed to break into the No.1 position until Mitchell.
Babar Azam, Rizwan, Zaman Make Gains
Pakistan’s Babar Azam has climbed to No.6 after his unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. Teammates Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman have also surged upward, each rising five spots thanks to consistent half-centuries in the same series.
Abrar Ahmed Breaks Into Bowling Top 10
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed has entered the top 10 of the ODI bowling rankings for the first time, moving up 11 places to ninth after a three-wicket haul against Sri Lanka.
Speedster Haris Rauf (up to 23rd), West Indies’ Jayden Seales (20th), and Roston Chase (46th) have also made notable progress.
Bavuma, Harmer, Kuldeep & Jadeja Shine in Test Rankings
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has reached a career-best No.5 in the ICC Test batting rankings following his crucial unbeaten 55 in Kolkata, helping his team take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Off-spinner Simon Harmer has shot up 20 places to a career-best 24th after figures of 4/30 and 4/21 at Eden Gardens.
From India’s camp, Kuldeep Yadav has climbed to a career-high 13th, while Ravindra Jadeja has risen to 15th among Test bowlers.
Bangladesh’s Nazmul Hossain Shanto (34th) and Mahmudul Hasan Joy (74th) have also benefitted from their centuries against Ireland, while Paul Stirling has moved from 96th to 80th.
T20I Rankings: Robinson, Duffy, Santner, Nawaz Move Up
In T20Is, New Zealand’s Tim Robinson has broken into the top 15 after his knock of 45 against the West Indies, rising eight places to reach a career-best 15th position.
Seamer Jacob Duffy has climbed from third to second, while Mitchell Santner and Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz have also made noticeable gains.
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