Cricket

Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC ODI bowler rankings, while Babar Azam continues to dominate as the world's leading ODI batter. Afridi's impressive performances against Australia, where he claimed eight wickets at an average of 12.62, propelled him past Kuldeep Yadav, Rashid Khan, and Keshav Maharaj. This marks the second time Afridi has reached the summit of the ODI bowling rankings, having briefly held the position during the 2023 ODI World Cup.Afridi's seam-bowling partner, Haris Rauf, also made significant progress, moving up 14 places to 13th after bagging 10 wickets in the ODI series against Australia. Naseem Shah also climbed 14 spots to a career-best 55th.In the ODI batting rankings, Babar Azam extended his lead with scores of 37, 15*, and 28* against Australia. He remains well ahead of the Indian trio of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli, who occupy the second, third, and fourth positions, respectively.The ODI all-rounder rankings saw significant movement following the ODI series between Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Player of the Series Mohammad Nabi retained his top spot, while Rashid Khan moved up to third. Azmatullah Omarzai's strong showing pushed him two places up to No. 9, giving Afghanistan three players in the top 10. Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan Miraz jumped four places to No. 4 after taking three wickets and scoring 66 in the third ODI.In T20Is, Wanindu Hasaranga's series haul of 6 for 37 against New Zealand lifted him four places to second spot among the bowlers, behind only England's Adil Rashid. Akeal Hosein's economical performance against England earned him third place, while Ravi Bishnoi's four scalps in two games against South Africa moved him up one spot to No. 7.Among batters, the England pair of Phil Salt (second) and Jos Buttler (sixth), alongside West Indies' Nicholas Pooran (10th), all moved up one place each in the batting rankings after two games in the five-match series in the Caribbean. From the ongoing South Africa vs India T20I series, Sanju Samson continued his rise in the batting ranks. A second successive T20I century for the India opener, this time a 50-ball 107 in the first game, saw him leapfrog 27 positions to 39th. The South African duo of Reeza Hendricks (up two places to 12th) and Tristan Stubbs (up 12 spots to 26th) also made headway on the T20I batting charts that is still led by Travis Head. Salt and Suryakumar Yadav round off the top three.

India's women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has climbed to the joint ninth spot in the latest ICC Women's ODI rankings, while opener Smriti Mandhana has maintained her fourth position. The rankings were released in Dubai on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.Kaur's rise in the rankings comes after her crucial role in India's six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third ODI of their ICC Women's Championship series in Ahmedabad. Despite slipping three slots after the first two matches, her unbeaten 59 off 63 balls propelled her back into the top 10.Left-hander Mandhana, who won the player of the match award for her century in the same match, added 23 rating points to reach a tally of 728. This places her just five points behind Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu in the list led by England's Natalie Sciver-Brunt with 760 rating points.Other Indian players also made significant progress in the rankings. Wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia moved up from 48th to 45th after contributing 35 runs. For New Zealand, Brooke Halliday's knock of 86 lifted her 12 spots to 24th position, while Georgia Plimmer's 39 runs took her from 85th to 74th position.In the bowling chart, seasoned spinner Deepti Sharma gained important rating points after helping India win the series 2-1. Sharma, who had already attained a career-high 687 rating points last week, added 16 more to reach 703 rating points. This solidifies her second place among bowlers, behind England's left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who enjoys a huge lead with 770 rating points.India pacer Renuka Singh moved up four places to 32nd, while Saima Thakor (up 20 places to joint-77th) and Priya Mishra (up six places to 83rd) also progressed.In the ICC Women's Championship standings, India is placed third with 25 points, while New Zealand is sixth with 20 points from 21 matches. Australia and England are at the top with 28 points each, from 18 and 21 matches, respectively.

Indian Trio Soars in ICC Rankings After Bangladesh VictoryIn the wake of India's dominant 49-run victory over Bangladesh in the opening match of their T20I series, three Indian players have made significant strides in the latest ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings.Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder, played a pivotal role with the bat, scoring a rapid 39* off just 16 deliveries. His innings, which included five fours and two sixes, propelled him seven spots up to 60th in the T20I batting rankings. Pandya also made an impact with the ball, taking a wicket, which helped him climb four places to third overall in the T20I All-Rounder Rankings.Arshdeep Singh, the young pacer, emerged as a standout performer, taking three wickets to climb eight places to eighth in the T20I bowling rankings. This marks a career-high rating for Singh, who is on the verge of surpassing the records set by Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.Varun Chakravarthy, the mystery spinner, also impressed with his bowling, taking three wickets. His performance helped him maintain his position in the top 10 of the T20I bowling rankings.In the ODI Player Rankings, there were minor adjustments following South Africa's 2-1 series victory over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Curtis Campher, Craig Young, and Graham Hume all made notable gains in the ODI rankings after their impressive performances in the final match.

Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has made a significant leap in the ICC Women's T20 batting rankings, climbing four spots to share the 12th position with Sri Lanka's Harshitha Samarawickrama. Kaur now boasts 610 rating points, a testament to her consistent performances in the ongoing T20 World Cup in the UAE.However, Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues have slipped in the rankings. Mandhana has dropped one place to fifth, while Rodrigues has fallen two spots to 20th. Veteran offspinner Deepti Sharma has also lost ground, dropping two places to fourth, while seamer Renuka Singh Thakur has maintained her position at fifth.In the bowlers' rankings, off-spinner Shreyanka Patil has made an impressive surge, climbing nine places to 29th. Pakistan spinner Sadia Iqbal has made history by becoming the first from her country to briefly top the rankings, overtaking long-time number one Sophie Ecclestone. However, Ecclestone has regained her position after claiming 2/15 against South Africa in a Player-of-the-Match performance.South Africa openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits have both achieved career-best-equalling rankings after moving up two spots each to third and sixth respectively.The ICC rankings have been released amidst the ongoing T20 World Cup, where teams are vying for the coveted title. The tournament has witnessed some thrilling matches and impressive performances, with players from various nations making their mark on the global stage.

India's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has ascended one spot to third in the latest ICC ODI rankings for women, released on Tuesday. With 738 rating points, Mandhana is the top-ranked Indian batter in the 50-over format, while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur maintains her ninth position.Sri Lanka's star batter Chamari Athapaththu has slipped behind Mandhana to fourth place, but her compatriots Nilakshika de Silva (up three places to 32nd), Harshitha Samarawickrama (up eight places to 44th), and Kavisha Dilhari (up four places to 50th) have all made significant gains in the ODI batting rankings.Mandhana also retained her fourth spot in the T20 rankings, with Sri Lanka's Samarawickrama and Ireland opener Gaby Lewis reaching career highs. Samarawickrama's impressive knock of 65 off 44 balls in the second T20I between Sri Lanka and Ireland propelled her up three places to 13th position, while Lewis's match-winning 119 off 75 balls has lifted her four places to a career-best-equalling 21st position, which she had previously attained in July 2022.Mandhana's consistent performances in both ODI and T20 cricket have solidified her status as one of the world's leading batters. Her ability to score runs at a rapid pace and her versatility in playing different roles in the team make her a valuable asset for India.The rise of Sri Lankan batters in the rankings is a testament to the team's recent resurgence in women's cricket. Athapaththu, Samarawickrama, and de Silva have all played key roles in Sri Lanka's recent victories over Ireland and Pakistan.The ICC rankings are a reflection of the current form and performances of players and teams. Mandhana's rise in the rankings is a recognition of her exceptional batting skills and her contribution to India's success in women's cricket.

Babar Azam remains the undisputed king of ODI batting, holding onto the top spot in the ICC rankings. However, Rohit Sharma has made significant strides, climbing to the second position after his impressive performance in the ODI series against Sri Lanka.Rohit's consistent batting in Sri Lanka, where he amassed 157 runs at an average of 52.33, has propelled him up the rankings. His scores of 58, 64, and 35 have earned him 765 points, just behind Babar's 824 points.Shubman Gill, who previously held the second spot, has dropped down to third, while Virat Kohli remains in fourth place. Pathum Nissanka of Sri Lanka has made a notable rise, moving up one spot to eighth.Sri Lanka's batting lineup also saw some impressive performances. Avishka Fernando (137 runs), Dunith Wellalage (108), Kusal Mendis (103), and Nissanka (101) were the key contributors. Nissanka's consistent performance has solidified his position in the top ten, while Mendis and Avishka have made significant gains in the rankings.Wellalage's bowling prowess was also on display, particularly his 5 for 27 in the final ODI. This performance has earned him a jump of 17 spots to 59th among bowlers.In the Test arena, South Africa's Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj have made notable progress. Bavuma's 86 in the first innings and 15 not out in the second have moved him up two spots to 16th on the batters' table. Tony de Zorzi's scores of 78 and 45 have also earned him a rise of 29 spots to 85th.Maharaj's exceptional bowling performance, with returns of 4 for 76 and 4 for 88, has earned him the Player-of-the-Match award and a jump of seven spots to joint 21st on the Test bowlers' table.

R Ashwin's stellar performance in the fifth Test against England has propelled him back to the top of the ICC Test bowling rankings. The Indian offspinner's nine-wicket haul in Dharamsala has earned him the No. 1 spot for the sixth time in his career.Ashwin's resurgence has coincided with a dip in form for Jasprit Bumrah, who has slipped to No. 3. However, India's bowling attack remains formidable, with Kuldeep Yadav rising to a career-best 16th after his seven-wicket haul in Dharamsala.In the Test batting rankings, Rohit Sharma has moved up to sixth, while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have also made significant gains. Jaiswal's impressive start to his Test career has seen him accumulate 740 rating points, placing him behind only Don Bradman and Mike Hussey among batters with nine or fewer Tests.The ICC rankings also reflect the dominance of India across formats. The Men in Blue are ranked No. 1 in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, with Australia and England trailing in the Test and ODI rankings, and England and Australia in the T20I rankings.In the ODI batting rankings, Harry Tector's impressive performances against Afghanistan have lifted him to fourth place, while Babar Azam remains at the summit. In the ODI bowling rankings, Keshav Maharaj, Josh Hazlewood, and Adam Zampa occupy the top three spots.The T20I batting rankings are led by Suryakumar Yadav, Phil Salt, and Mohammad Rizwan, while Adil Rashid, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Akeal Hosein are the top three bowlers.In the allrounder rankings, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Nabi, and Shakib Al Hasan are the top-ranked players in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, respectively.