Sports

Indian Batter Ends Babar Azam’s Reign as No.1 ODI Batsman

Babar Azam’s reign atop the ICC ODI batter rankings has come to an end, with India’s young gun Shubman Gill taking over as the new pack leader after a string of impressive performances.

Shubman Gill’s ascent to the top spot of the ODI rankings comes on the back of a dominant performance in India’s recent 3-0 ODI series win against England. The Indian opener was in sublime touch, scoring 87, 60, and 112 in three matches, finishing as the leading run-scorer with 259 runs at an average of 86.33 and a strike rate of 103.60. His performances ensured he reclaimed the top ranking, a position he previously held during the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Gill now sits at 796 rating points, while Babar Azam has dropped to second place with 773 points. The top five batters are rounded out by Rohit Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen, and Daryl Mitchell, with Mitchell moving up two spots following his consistent performances in the recent Pakistan tri-series, which helped the Black Caps lift the trophy.

Ad Powered By Advergic
Loading ad . . .
Ad - Continue scrolling to read

ICC ODI Men’s Batters Rankings:

Pos Team Player Rating Career Best Rating
01 India Shubman Gill 796 847 v Australia at Indore 2023
02 Pakistan Babar Azam 773 898 v West Indies at Multan 2022
03 India Rohit Sharma 761 882 v Sri Lanka at Headingley 2019
04 South Africa Heinrich Klaasen 756 757 v Bangladesh at Mumbai 2023
05 New Zealand Daryl Mitchell 740 750 v India at Mumbai 2023
06 India Virat Kohli 727 909 v England at Headingley 2018
07 Ireland Harry Tector 713 767 v Afghanistan at Sharjah 2024
08 Sri Lanka Charith Asalanka 694 694 v Australia at Colombo (RPS) 2025
09 India Shreyas Iyer 679 710 v New Zealand at Mumbai 2023
10 West Indies Shai Hope 672 802 v Bangladesh at Malahide 2019

The bowling rankings also saw notable shifts, with Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana dethroning Rashid Khan at the top. The mystery spinner delivered a standout performance against Australia, claiming 4 for 40 in the first match, cementing his place as the world’s top-ranked ODI bowler with 680 rating points.

His rise has resulted in Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan slipping to second place with 669 points, though the Afghan star remains in contention to reclaim the top spot with a strong Champions Trophy campaign. Namibia’s Bernard Scholtz at No. 3 is followed by India’s Kuldeep Yadav and Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi in the top five.

ICC ODI Men’s Bowlers Rankings:

Pos Team Player Rating Career Best Rating
01 Sri Lanka Maheesh Theekshana 680 686 v Australia at Colombo (RPS) 2025
02 Afghanistan Rashid Khan 669 799 v Pakistan at Abu Dhabi 2018
03 Namibia Bernard Scholtz 662 663 v USA at Oman 2025
04 India Kuldeep Yadav 652 760 v New Zealand at Bay Oval 2019
05 Pakistan Shaheen Afridi 646 696 v Australia at Perth Stadium 2024
06 South Africa Keshav Maharaj 642 741 v Australia at Kolkata 2023
07 New Zealand Mitchell Santner 639 648 v England at Hamilton 2018
08 New Zealand Matt Henry 632 691 v Bangladesh at Wellington 2021
= West Indies Gudakesh Motie 632 639 v Bangladesh at St Kitts 2024
10 India Mohammed Siraj 624 736 v New Zealand at Raipur 2023

With the Champions Trophy now underway, the rankings are expected to see further changes as top teams battle it out on cricket’s grand stage. Players like Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi, and Heinrich Klaasen will be eager to make an impact and push for higher rankings in the coming weeks.

Stay Connected with ProPakistani

Get the latest sports news, match updates, and player stories wherever you prefer.

Add ProPakistani to Preferred Sources and see more of our stories in Google Search and Top Stories.

Share
Published by
Usama Mustafa