Virat Kohli makes a big jump, Babar Azam remains on top in latest ICC ODI rankings

Virat Kohli, Quinton de Kock and Dawid Malan are the big movers inside the top 10 of the ODI Batting Rankings, while a pacer has claimed the outright lead in the Bowling Rankings. Ten centuries across the opening eight matches at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 have shaken up the top end of the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings.

De Kock’s blazing hundred for South Africa against Sri Lanka has lifted the opener one spot higher to sixth in the batting rankings, as he sets out to make his mark in a last 50-over tournament before retiring from the format. India star Virat Kohli is on the heels of the South Africa keeper-batter in seventh spot after a match-turning 85 runs against Australia in the hosts’ opening clash of the Cricket World Cup sent him two places higher in the rankings.

England opener Malan made an even bigger move as 140 rapid runs against Bangladesh pushed him seven places higher into eighth in the batting rankings. Malan has also reached a career-best rating of 711 to be four points behind Virat Kohli, and six points ahead of Pakistan’s Imam-ul-Haq who has dropped three spots to ninth.

India keeper-batter KL Rahul (up 15 spots to 19th) and South Africa all-rounder Aiden Markram (up 11 spots to 21st) have also benefited from plundering runs to start the Cricket World Cup. Pakistan skipper Babar Azam holds onto top spot in the ODI batting rankings despite scores of 10 against Sri Lanka and five against Netherlands so far at the showpiece event.

India young gun Shubman Gill remains in second place even while sidelined due to illness. The top bowlers have also made an immediate impact at the Cricket World Cup even as runs have flowed in most matches. Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood now holds top spot on his own in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings after sharing the position with Mohammed Siraj in the previous update.

Hazlewood leapt from 669 to 682 rating points after taking 3/38 against India including the early scalps of Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer that had the hosts on the ropes. India went on to win that match by six wickets after spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav had torn through the Australia batting line-up to help restrict them to 199 runs.

Siraj picked up the Australia’s last wicket of Mitchell Starc to finish with 1/26 from 6.3 overs but dropped five points and into second spot in the bowling rankings. Kuldeep has climbed three places to eighth after taking 2/42 against Australia, while Jadeja (3/28) soared 22 spots but still sits outside the top-40 bowlers.

New Zealand quicks Trent Boult (up two spots to third) and Matt Henry (up four spots to five) have also risen inside the top-10. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan holds onto top spot in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI All-rounder Rankings after taking four wickets in their opening two matches.

Mitchell Santner is the only all-rounder to climb higher inside the top-10 after backing up 2/37 against England with 5/59 and a quickfire 36* in a player-of-the-match performance against Netherlands.

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