Following a series of stellar performances against New Zealand and Sri Lanka at home, India's Mohammed Siraj was named the world's number one ODI bowler by the ICC this Wednesday. It has been a grueling journey for Siraj, who silenced his critics—many of whom had mocked his expensive spells and lack of wickets in the IPL—by proving his worth on the global stage. He currently sits at the top with 729 points, edging out Australia's Josh Hazlewood by a tiny margin of two points.
India’s rising star Mohammed Siraj was crowned World’s No.1 bowler in the ICC ODI rankings on Wednesday, following sensational performances in the home series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. From being trolled by fans for not picking up any wickets and high economy rate in the IPL matches to becoming the No.1 bowler in ODIs, Siraj has proved himself in his long journey. Indian pacer has 729 rating points in the bowler’s rankings and narrowly leads Australia’s Josh Hazlewood by two rating points.
Siraj joins an exclusive list of Indian bowlers, becoming the third to reach the summit after Jasprit Bumrah and Kapil Dev. In 2022, the 28-year-old dominated the 50-over format for India, securing 24 wickets in 15 appearances while maintaining a tight economy of 4.62. He was the driving force behind the bowling unit in the series against Sri Lanka, where he led the way with 9 wickets.
Siraj has firmly established himself as a reliable asset for Team India. His impressive turnaround earned him high praise from captain Rohit Sharma, who pointed out Siraj's exceptional skill in swinging the ball to dismantle top orders early. Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami also made a significant leap, climbing 11 spots to reach 32nd in the overall rankings.
In the batting department, Shubman Gill's historic double century against New Zealand propelled him up to sixth place. In doing so, the young opener surpassed Virat Kohli, who now occupies the seventh spot. Additionally, Rohit Sharma, fresh off his first century in nearly three years, has moved up to ninth.