After a strong performance in the two-match series against Sri Lanka in Harare, Zimbabwe’s premier player Sikandar Raza has taken the top spot among all-rounders in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings for the first time in his career.
The 39-year-old passed Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi, who are currently ranked second and third, respectively, with 92 and 59 not out in the two games and one wicket in the series.
The second place that Sikandar Raza achieved in December 2023 was his previous best.
Sikandar Raza total of 151 runs also moved him up nine spots to 22nd in the batting rankings, two spots behind his highest career standing of 24th in June 2023. In addition, he moved up one spot to take 38th place among bowlers.
After the series, Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka, who finished first overall with 198 runs to win Player of the Series, jumped seven spots to 13th place, while Janith Liyanage of Sri Lanka moved up 13 spots to 29th and Sean Williams of Zimbabwe moved up three spots to 47th.
After hitting a game-winning 84 not out against Canada in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2, Scotland batsman George Munsey is up three spots to 34th, while South Africa’s Tony de Zorzi has risen from 67th to 64th.
Following a match-winning four-for-22 haul in the first ODI against England in Leeds, South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj overtook Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana to take the only No. 1 spot in the bowling rankings. Jofra Archer, who moved up six spots to 19th place, and Lungi Ngidi, who moved up five spots to joint-23rd place, were among the other bowlers to advance.
Dilshan Madushanka’s game-winning four for 62 in the opening Harare ODI, which featured a hat-trick, moved him up from 60th to 52nd rank, while Asitha Fernando moved up six spots to 31st.
How have the T20I rankings changed?
Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal, who helped defeat Pakistan in a tri-series encounter in Sharjah with scores of 65 and 64, respectively, are ranked highly in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings. Atal has jumped 346 spots to 127th place, while Zadran has risen 12 spots to 20th.
Pakistani hitters Hasan Nawaz (up two spots to joint-31st) and Sufiyan Muqeem (up 11 spots to 22nd), Shaheen Afridi (up 8 spots to 26th), and Mohammad Nawaz (up 15 spots to 43rd) advance in the batting and bowling rankings, respectively.
While Nabi may have fallen to third on the list of ODI all-rounders as a result of Sikandar Raza ascent, he has risen one spot to second among T20I all-rounders.
India
