Former India captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have slipped in the latest ICC ODI batters' rankings right ahead of the Australia series. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are poised to make their ODI return after a break of over six months, as they join the India squad for the upcoming three-match One Day International series against Australia, which begins on October 19.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma slip in ODI Rankings
However, before the series could even get underway, both the batting juggernauts have dropped a place each in the ODI Batting Rankings released on Wednesday, October 15. It all happened due to the remarkable performance of Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran, who made a massive eight-place jump to secure the number two spot. Zadran's surge was fueled by his brilliant batting display during Afghanistan's series whitewash of Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi this month.
Zadran was the top run-scorer in that three-match series, accumulating 213 runs at an impressive average of 71, boosting his total to 764 rating points. As a result of the Afghan batter's rise, Rohit Sharma slipped one spot to the 3rd position with 756 points. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli now holds the 5th place with 736 points, just behind Pakistan's Babar Azam. India's designated new ODI captain, Shubman Gill, managed to retain the top spot in the rankings with 784 points heading into the ODI series. Additionally, Shreyas Iyer slipped one place to the 9th position with 704 points.
In the bowling department, Afghanistan's success continued as Rashid Khan ascended to the number one position, becoming the new World No. 1 bowler in ODIs with 710 rating points. He displaced South Africa's Keshav Maharaj from the top spot. Rashid earned this distinction after a phenomenal performance in the recent ODI series against Bangladesh, where he claimed 11 wickets at an incredible average of 6.09, including a decisive five-wicket haul in the second ODI.
This exceptional all-around team effort culminated in a historic achievement for the nation: Afghanistan completed their first-ever ODI series whitewash, defeating Bangladesh by 200 runs in the third and final match of the series in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul climb in Test standings
India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has significantly advanced in the latest Test batting rankings, jumping two slots to fifth position. This climb is a direct result of his impressive knock of 175 in the first innings of the second Test against the West Indies in New Delhi. Similarly, KL Rahul also moved up two places to 33rd position after registering valuable scores of 38 and 58 not out in the match.
Meanwhile, several West Indies batters also saw gains following their second-innings performance. Shai Hope made a remarkable leap of 34 places to 66th, and John Campbell climbed six places to 68th, with both players scoring centuries in that innings.
Meanwhile, in the Test Bowling Rankings, Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav achieved a career-best 14th position, surging seven places. This jump follows his superb eight-wicket match haul in the second Test against the West Indies. He claimed these 8 wickets during India's victory at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi this week, marking his second-best performance in Test cricket. The Delhi Capitals' chinaman bowler was rightly named 'Player of the Match' for his efforts. For the West Indies, bowlers Jomel Warrican and captain Roston Chase also gained, moving up two and four places, respectively, to reach 30th and 57th positions.