Rohit Sharma closes in on Babar Azam's No. 1 spot in ODIs


Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Pakistani captain Babar Azam were seen together during a cricket match. — AFP/File

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has reached second place in the ICC ODI rankings and is closing in on Pakistan's white-ball captain Babar Azam.

Babar faces fresh competition from Rohit and Sri Lankan right-hander Pathum Nissanka despite maintaining a strong lead at the top of the ODI batsmen's charts.

After scoring a series-best 157 runs against Sri Lanka, Rohit overtook his teammate Shubman Gill, while Nissanka also moved up to eighth place after his 101 runs in the same series.

Sri Lanka ended a 27-year drought by defeating India for the first time since 1997 during that ODI series. Kusal Mendis (up five places to 39th) and Avishka Fernando (up 20 places to 68th) also moved up in the latest list of 50-overs batsmen.

Powerful Dutch opener Max O'Dowd (up 10 places to 54th) and American Monank Patel (up 11 places to joint 56th) also moved up the list, while American Nosthush Kenjige (up 10 places to 49th) and Sri Lankan spinner Dunith Wellalage (up 17 places to 59th) were among the players who made notable progress in the ODI rankings for bowlers.

There was also some movement in the latest Test player rankings, following the draw between West Indies and South Africa in Trinidad.

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has achieved a new career-high rating, moving up two places to 16th in the list of Test batsmen after scores of 86 and 15* against the West Indies. Meanwhile, opener Tony de Zorzi has moved up 29 places to 85th following an impressive 78 in the first innings of the ICC World Test Championship match.

From a West Indies perspective, Jason Holder (up three places to 67th) and Alick Athanaze (up 12 places to 76th) were the biggest gainers among Test batsmen. South African pace bowler Keshav Maharaj was the standout performer in the latest Test player list.

Maharaj took four wickets in each innings, earning Man of the Match honours and moving up seven places to 21st as a result.

Spinner Jomel Warrican moved up 12 places to 54th and achieved a new career-best rating following his six wickets in the match.

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