Shaheen Afridi Reclaims No. 1 ODI Spot as Babar Azam Extends Lead

Nov. 13: Shaheen Shah Afridi has once again ascended to the No. 1 position in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings following a remarkable series against Australia. Afridi, who took eight wickets at an average of 12.62 across three matches, moved past top bowlers Kuldeep Yadav, Rashid Khan, and Keshav Maharaj. This marks the second time the Pakistan fast bowler has reached the top spot, having previously been ranked No. 1 during the 2023 ODI World Cup.

In addition to Afridi’s achievement, Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam has extended his lead as the top-ranked ODI batter. Despite scoring modest totals of 37, 15* and 28* in the recent series, Babar continues to dominate the rankings and is well ahead of India’s Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli, who occupy second, third, and fourth positions, respectively.

Haris Rauf also made significant strides, moving up 14 places to No. 13 after a standout Player-of-the-Series performance in which he claimed 10 wickets against Australia. Naseem Shah, meanwhile, climbed 14 spots to a career-high No. 55.

The recent ODI series between Afghanistan and Bangladesh also saw notable movements in the allrounder rankings. Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi remains the No. 1 ODI allrounder, while Rashid Khan moved up to No. 3. Azmatullah Omarzai’s strong showing pushed him into the top 10 at No. 9, and Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz jumped four places to No. 4 following a solid performance with both bat and ball.

In the T20I rankings, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga climbed to No. 2 among bowlers after his brilliant performance against New Zealand, where he took 6 wickets for 37 runs in the series. England’s Adil Rashid remains at the top.

India’s Sanju Samson also made a significant rise in the T20I batting rankings, jumping 27 spots to No. 39 after his stunning 107 off 50 balls in the first T20I against South Africa. England’s Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, along with West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran, all moved up one place in the batting rankings as well.

With these developments, the ICC rankings continue to reflect the evolving landscape of international cricket, with Pakistan’s Afridi and Babar Azam leading the charge in their respective categories.