The latest ICC rankings revealed on Wednesday show that India's young opening batsman, Shubman Gill, has displaced Pakistan's captain Babar Azam from the top of the ODI batting charts. Babar had held the position for more than two years, but Gill's strong start to the 2023 World Cup pushed him into first place. This milestone makes Gill just the fourth Indian to ever be ranked as the world's best ODI batter, placing him alongside legends like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Sachin Tendulkar.
India’s young opener Shubman Gill has ended Pakistan skipper Babar Azam’s more than two-year reign as the world’s No.1 ODI batter by capturing the top spot on the latest ICC batting rankings, revealed on Wednesday. Gill surpassed Babar after having a strong start to India’s World Cup 2023 campaign, becoming only the fourth player from his country to hold the No.1 ODI batter’s position, joining Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli.
Having trailed Babar for some time, the right-handed Gill recently added 92 runs against Sri Lanka and 23 against South Africa, bringing his World Cup tally to 219 runs in six matches. In contrast, Babar Azam has scored 282 runs in eight outings. As a result, the Pakistani star has dropped to second place, sitting six points behind Gill. The current standings see Gill at the top with 830 points, followed by Babar at 824 and Quinton de Kock at 771.
Gill's rise is part of a broader surge for the Indian team in the rankings. Veteran Virat Kohli has also climbed back into the top five, moving up three spots to fourth place after a stellar World Cup performance where he scored 543 runs; he is now nearly tied with third-placed Quinton de Kock. Additionally, Mohammed Siraj has reclaimed the number one spot for ODI bowlers after taking 10 wickets during the tournament.
The Indian bowling attack continues to dominate the top ten, fueled by their unbeaten streak in the ICC event. Kuldeep Yadav moved up three places to fourth, Jasprit Bumrah secured the eighth spot, and Mohammed Shami climbed seven positions to land in tenth.