In the ever-competitive world of cricket, Pakistan's skipper Babar Azam on Wednesday managed to hold onto his numero uno position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) One Day International (ODI) batting rankings.
Azam faced criticism for scoring just 10 against Sri Lanka and a meager 5 against the Netherlands. However, his overall consistency and past achievements have helped him maintain his top-ranking status.
Shubman Gill holds steady
India's opening batsman, Shubman Gill, managed to retain his second-place position in the rankings, despite not being included in the playing XI in a recent encounter against Australia.
The cricketing world has witnessed a remarkable shift in the ODI batting rankings, largely driven by extraordinary performances during the World Cup.
Virat Kohli, Quinton de Kock
India's legendary batsman, Virat Kohli, made a significant move, climbing to the seventh spot after an impressive knock of 85 runs against Australia.
South Africa's wicketkeeper-batsman, Quinton de Kock, who showcased his blazing form with a remarkable hundred against Sri Lanka, is now ranked sixth.
Dawid Malan's meteoric rise
The English opener, Dawid Malan, has emerged as a dark horse in this ranking overhaul. His scintillating 140-run performance against Bangladesh propelled him seven places higher, securing him the eighth position in the ODI batting rankings.
Malan has also achieved a career-best rating of 711, putting him just four points behind Kohli and six points ahead of Pakistan’s Imam-ul-Haq, who has slipped to the ninth spot.
India's KL Rahul has surged 15 spots to secure the 19th position, while South Africa's Aiden Markram has moved up 11 places to be ranked 21st, all due to their prolific run-scoring during the ongoing Cricket World Cup.
In the bowling rankings, Australia's Josh Hazlewood now stands alone at the top after sharing the position with Mohammed Siraj in the previous update. Hazlewood's excellent performance, where he took 3/38 against India, saw him gain a significant boost in his rating points, moving from 669 to 682.
Kuldeep climbs
India's Kuldeep Yadav has climbed three places to reach the eighth position in the ODI bowling rankings after taking 2/42 against Australia. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja, who claimed three wickets for just 28 runs, surged a remarkable 22 spots but still finds himself outside the top-40 bowlers.
New Zealand's pace duo of Trent Boult and Matt Henry have also made their presence felt, with Boult moving up two spots to third and Henry climbing four spots to the fifth position in the ODI bowling rankings.
Bangladesh's captain, Shakib Al Hasan, continues to assert his dominance in the all-rounder rankings, maintaining his top position after taking four wickets in two matches.
Mitchell Santner, in a remarkable display of all-round prowess, is the only all-rounder to make substantial gains within the top 10 rankings. He backed up his performance with 2/37 against England and an explosive 36* against the Netherlands, earning himself the player-of-the-match title.
