Shubman Gill Overtakes Babar Azam as Top-Ranked ODI Batter Ahead of ICC Champions Trophy

Image credits: ICC Cricket

The ICC has released its latest ODI rankings, and there have been significant changes at the top. India's Shubman Gill has overtaken Pakistan's Babar Azam to become the number one ranked ODI batter in the world. Gill's impressive performance against England in the recent home series, where he scored two fifties and a century, has earned him 796 rating points, surpassing Babar's 773 points. This is not the first time Gill has held the top spot, as he previously surpassed Babar during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2023.

India's vice-captain Gill is followed by Babar Azam, and then India's skipper Rohit Sharma, who is placed at the third spot with 761 points. South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen and New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell are at fourth and fifth respectively. The latest rankings have set the stage for an interesting ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to start soon. The tournament will feature eight teams, including India, Pakistan, and New Zealand, and will be played in Karachi and Dubai.

In the ODI bowling rankings, Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana has taken the top spot, replacing Afghanistan's Rashid Khan. Theekshana's impressive performance against Australia, where he took four wickets, has earned him 680 rating points. Rashid Khan is now at the second spot, followed by Namibia's Bernard Scholtz, India's Kuldeep Yadav, and Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi. The rankings have also seen other players make significant gains, including South Africa's Keshav Maharaj, who has re-entered the rankings at sixth, and New Zealand's Mitchell Santner, who has moved up four places to seventh.

The ICC Champions Trophy is expected to be a closely contested tournament, with several teams having a strong chance of winning. The tournament will feature some of the best cricketers in the world, including Gill, Babar, and Rohit Sharma. The latest rankings have added an extra layer of excitement to the tournament, as players will be looking to perform well and improve their rankings. The tournament will also be an opportunity for teams to prepare for the upcoming World Cup, which is scheduled to take place next year.

Here are the current top 10 ODI batters and bowlers:

• Top 10 ODI Batters:
  1. Shubman Gill (India) - 796 points
  2. Babar Azam (Pakistan) - 773 points
  3. Rohit Sharma (India) - 761 points
  4. Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa) - 756 points
  5. Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand) - 749 points
  6. Virat Kohli (India) - 744 points
  7. Shreyas Iyer (India) - 736 points
  8. Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) - 729 points
  9. Aiden Markram (South Africa) - 726 points
  10. Temba Bavuma (South Africa) - 723 points
• Top 10 ODI Bowlers:
  1. Maheesh Theekshana (Sri Lanka) - 680 points
  2. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) - 669 points
  3. Bernard Scholtz (Namibia) - 659 points
  4. Kuldeep Yadav (India) - 654 points
  5. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan) - 649 points
  6. Keshav Maharaj (South Africa) - 644 points
  7. Mitchell Santner (New Zealand) - 639 points
  8. Adil Rashid (England) - 634 points
  9. Naseem Shah (Pakistan) - 629 points
  10. Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) - 624 points

The ICC Champions Trophy is expected to be a thrilling tournament, with several teams and players looking to make a strong impression.

odi babar azam batter shubman gill ahead icc top trophy