- Axar entered top-10 all-rounders; global rankings saw shifts.
IND VS ENG ODI SERIES: Indian captain Shubman Gill has moved to the brink of capturing the world’s number-one spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings. Following a spectacular, match-winning knock of 80 runs against England in the opening One Day International (ODI) at Edgbaston, Gill earned a crucial 12-point gain. This surge leaves him just 11 rating points adrift of the current top-ranked ODI batter, New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell, setting up an intense battle for the global crown.
Gill’s brilliant return anchored India’s chase alongside returning stalwarts Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli. Though he was forced to retire hurt after a 75-ball 80 which included 11 boundaries and a six his performance provided a massive sigh of relief for the Indian camp. The victory helped India snap a difficult slump, which had recently seen them suffer a 4-0 whitewash in a T20I series against England and a historic 2-0 T20I defeat at the hands of Ireland.
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India’s Lower-Order Resurgence
Following Gill’s unfortunate injury, the Indian run-chase experienced a brief stutter. However, all-rounders Axar Patel and Washington Sundar stepped up to steady the ship, guiding India home with a dominant, unbeaten century partnership. Axar played a blistering knock of 57 not out off just 52 deliveries, while Sundar provided perfect anchor support with an unbeaten 52 off 63 balls.
Axar Enters Top 10 All-Rounders
Earlier in the day, Axar starred with the ball, picking up 4/62 to claim the Player of the Match award. His magnificent all-round performance triggered massive movements across the ICC charts:
Batting: Rose 18 places to 73rd position.
Bowling: Climbed two places to 42nd position.
All-Rounders: Officially entered the top 10, occupying the 9th spot.
Washington Sundar also enjoyed significant gains, jumping 24 spots to 177th among batters and climbing 16 places to 55th in the all-rounder rankings. Meanwhile, premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah made a successful return to ODI cricket after a staggering 968 days on the sidelines, registering tidy figures of 1/31 and climbing to 24th in the bowling rankings. For England, Joe Root’s fluent 76 took him to joint 12th place, while Liam Dawson’s fighting 68 saw him skyrocket 81 places to 262nd.
New Zealand vs West Indies Series
The ongoing white-ball series between the West Indies and New Zealand also caused major ripples in the rankings. Kiwis’ left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox achieved a career-best haul of 5/19 in the second ODI, propelling him 31 places up to joint 66th in the bowling rankings alongside Sri Lanka’s Dilshan Madushanka. For the West Indies, Alzarri Joseph moved up six places to 36th after taking five wickets across two matches, while captain Shai Hope crept up to 6th place following an unbeaten 87. Keacy Carty also made his debut in the top 20 after scoring 113 runs in two games.
Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh Series
In the recently concluded series between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, Zimbabwe opener Ben Curran leaped 31 places to 34th. His teammate, Brad Evans, was named the Player of the Series after scoring 111 runs and taking 5 wickets. Evans witnessed an astronomical rise, climbing 148 places to joint 167th in batting, moving up four spots to 107th in bowling, and surging 82 places to sit joint 90th among all-rounders.
T20I Rankings: England’s Dominance Reflects on Charts
The latest updates also integrated the aftermath of England’s comprehensive 4-0 T20I series victory over India. English skipper Harry Brook jumped 12 spots to claim the 7th position in the T20I Batting Rankings, courtesy of his aggregate of 229 runs, which featured a destructive, unbeaten 95 off 45 balls in the final match.
His teammate Jos Buttler, who smashed a career-best 131 in the same T20I, moved up one place to 6th. On the bowling front, Jofra Archer’s highly successful return yielded 7 wickets in four games, pushing him up eight places to joint 18th in the T20I Bowling Rankings.
