KEY POINTS
- Virat Kohli rises to No. 2 in ICC ODI rankings following a stellar series against South Africa.
- Mitchell Starc achieves career-high No. 3 in ICC Test bowling rankings after strong Ashes performance.
DUBAI: Pakistan’s top-order batter Sahibzada Farhan has made a significant leap in the latest ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings, moving up to fifth place with 752 rating points.
This follows his standout performance as the leading run-scorer in the recent home T20I tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Farhan’s rise saw him surpass India’s Tilak Varma to secure the coveted fifth spot.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Saim Ayub continues to dominate the all-rounders’ rankings, holding onto the top position, while India’s Hardik Pandya climbed three places to settle at fourth.
In other rankings, middle-order batter Saud Shakeel made a notable entry into the Top 10 of the ICC Men’s Test batting rankings, rising to 10th place.
On the bowling side, Pakistan’s Noman Ali slipped to fourth, with Australia’s Mitchell Starc moving up three spots to take third.
Kohli Climbs to No. 2 in ODI Batting Rankings
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has moved to No. 2 in the ICC Men’s ODI batting rankings, narrowing the gap with top-ranked Rohit Sharma after a stellar performance in the series against South Africa.
The 37-year-old Kohli amassed 302 runs across three ODIs, including two back-to-back centuries, earning the Player of the Series award.
His remarkable effort has cut Rohit’s lead to just eight rating points.
Kohli’s rise marks a return to form after a challenging period. He had dropped out of the top 10 in December 2022 following a lean run but bounced back to No. 3 after the 2023 ODI World Cup.
After a brief slump in his next series, Kohli now finds himself back in the top two, his highest ODI ranking since January 2022.
He displaces Daryl Mitchell, while Ibrahim Zadran and Shubman Gill complete the top five.
Rohit Sharma, who scored 146 runs in the South Africa series, retained his No. 1 position, but the rivalry between the two Indian stars will continue when India faces New Zealand next month.
Other Indian players also saw upward movement in the rankings. KL Rahul climbed to No. 12 among ODI batters, while Kuldeep Yadav surged to third in the ODI bowling rankings.
Despite South Africa’s 1-2 series loss, several of their players made progress, with Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, and Temba Bavuma all improving their rankings.
Starc Achieves Career-High in Test Rankings
In Test cricket, Mitchell Starc has reached a career-best No. 3 in the bowling rankings following his stellar performances in the Ashes.
Starc, who claimed 18 wickets in the first two Tests, including a seven-wicket haul, jumped up three spots to achieve 852 points, his highest-ever ranking.
The bowling rankings remain led by Jasprit Bumrah, with Matt Henry in second place.
England’s struggles in the batting department saw Harry Brook drop to No. 4, while Kane Williamson and Steve Smith each moved up a spot behind Joe Root.
In other notable rankings, Rachin Ravindra climbed nine places to No. 15 in the batting list after his strong performance in the drawn Christchurch Test, while West Indies players Shai Hope and Justin Greaves saw progress following their efforts in the final-day resistance.
