Dubai [UAE], February 19 : Young India batter Shubman Gill overtook former Pakistan captain Babar Azam to claim the No.1 spot in the ODI batting rankings, days ahead of their teams facing off in the much-awaited clash in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025.
In another major development, Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana became the top-ranked ODI bowler for the first time, surpassing Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, according to the official website of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
This marked the second time Gill had held the No.1 ranking in ODIs, having first claimed the top spot midway through the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2023. His recent century against England in Ahmedabad during the third ODI of the recently concluded series helped propel him past Babar Azam, who dropped to second place, trailing by 23 rating points. Meanwhile, India's captain Rohit Sharma remained in third, 45 points behind Gill.
Several other batters also made notable progress in the rankings. New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell climbed two places to fifth, while Sri Lanka's Charith Asalanka made a significant leap of eight spots to eighth. Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan rose six places to a career-best 15th position. Additionally, New Zealand's Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips gained five and six spots, respectively, landing at 35th and 41st, while Pakistan's Salman Agha surged 24 places to 48th following strong performances in the recent Tri-Nation series.
In the bowling rankings, Theekshana's exceptional performances in Sri Lanka's home series against Australia highlighted by a four-wicket haul in the opening match in Colombo secured his ascent to No.1. Although Sri Lanka will not participate in the Champions Trophy, his dominance against Australia ensured his rise to the top.
Rashid Khan slipped to second place, trailing by just 11 rating points, while India's Kuldeep Yadav moved up one spot to fourth. South Africa's Keshav Maharaj re-entered the rankings at sixth, and New Zealand's Mitchell Santner climbed four places to seventh.
Afghanistan's veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi maintained his position as the No.1 ranked player in the ODI all-rounder category, while Santner gained one place inside the top 10, moving up to sixth.
With the ICC Champions Trophy just around the corner, these shifts in rankings add an extra layer of intrigue to the competition, setting the stage for thrilling battles between the world's top cricketers.