Indian batter Shubman Gill is on the cusp of claiming the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings, with just 10 points separating him from Pakistan's Babar Azam.
Gill showcased his brilliance during the initial two matches of the ODI series against Australia, amassing a total of 178 runs in these contests. His remarkable performance, including a rapid 74 in the series opener in Mohali and a stunning sixth career ODI century in Indore, propelled him to a career-high rating on the updated list for ODI batters.
Currently, Gill boasts 847 rating points, a mere 10 points behind Babar. However, due to India's final match against Australia and Pakistan's absence from official ODI matches until the World Cup opener, Babar is expected to retain the top ranking entering this year's tournament.
The rivalry for the top spot in the batter rankings between Babar and Gill will be closely monitored throughout the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Both players maintain a significant lead over their closest competitors, with Rassie van der Dussen of South Africa (743 rating points) securing the third spot.
Meanwhile, Harry Tector of Ireland achieved a new career-high rating and rose to fourth in the rankings, despite weather disruptions affecting much of his side's ODI series against England.
India's Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have also climbed the rankings, moving up eight and six places, respectively, following their impressive performances against Australia. In the bowling department, India's Mohammed Siraj maintains his narrow lead at the top of the ODI bowlers' list, having ascended to this position after his six-wicket haul in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka.
Siraj currently holds an 11-point advantage over Australia's Josh Hazlewood, making the competition among the top ODI bowlers highly competitive. Notably, the top 10 players in the ODI bowler rankings are separated by just 55 rating points.
Experienced Australian spinner Adam Zampa improved one spot to seventh in the rankings following his three-wicket performance in the first two matches against India. Additionally, India's Mohammed Shami and Australia's Sean Abbott made notable strides, moving up nine and 14 places, respectively, in the latest rankings update.
Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman also enjoyed a rankings boost, climbing five places to 23rd after an impressive showing in his side's ODI series against New Zealand.
