New Delhi: New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell has replaced Rohit Sharma as the top-ranked batter in the latest update to the ICC Men’s ODI rankings, while India pacer Jasprit Bumrah continues to hold the pole position in the Test bowlers rankings.
Mitchell has become the first New Zealand player since Glenn Turner in 1979 to be on top of the men’s ODI batting rankings, following his match-winning century against the West Indies in the series opener. Before being ruled out of the series due to a groin injury, Mitchell hit a 118-ball 119, which earned him the Player of the Match award.
That knock has lifted him past Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran and Rohit by a single rating point, ending the latter’s brief 22-day reign at the summit of the rankings. While Turner was the last New Zealander to hold the number one spot 46 years ago, others such as Nathan Astle, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson have climbed as high as third in the rankings.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam, meanwhile, rose to sixth place after hitting an unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, while his teammates Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman have moved up to 22nd and 26th places respectively after scoring two half-centuries each in the series.
In terms of bowling, Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed attains a career-best ninth position after gaining 11 slots post picking a three-wicket haul in the second ODI against Sri Lanka. Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf has moved up five places to 23rd, while the West Indies’ Jayden Seales (up three places to 20th) and Roston Chase (up 12 places to 46th) have also made moves in the rankings.
In terms of Tests, Bumrah has retained his position as the number one bowler in the Test rankings after claiming six wickets, including a five-wicket haul, in the opening Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens. His teammates Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja also made gains, with the former rising two places to a career-best 13th spot and the latter climbing four slots to be at 15th place.
Off-spinner Simon Harmer also made significant gains by rising 20 places to a career-best 24th following a match-winning eight-wicket haul at the Eden Gardens. South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has climbed to a career-best fifth spot in the Test batting rankings after making an unbeaten 55 in the second innings of the low-scoring Kolkata Test.
Bangladesh captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto (up four places to 34th) and Mahmudul Hasan Joy (up 19 places to 74th) have made gains after their centuries led to the side securing an innings victory over Ireland in Sylhet. Ireland opener Paul Stirling has progressed from 96th to 80th position.
In the men’s T20I Player Rankings, New Zealander Tim Robinson’s knock of 45 in the final match against the West Indies has helped him move up eight places to a career-best 15th position. Seam bowler Jacob Duffy has moved up from third to second position, while Mitchell Santner (up five places to 18th) and Mohammad Nawaz (up four places to 27th) also made good progress in the men’s T20I bowler rankings.
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