ICC ODI Rankings: Rohit Sharma goes past Virat Kohli to break into top 3, inches closer to no.1 ranked Babar Azam

SportsTak Desk

• Wed • 07 Aug 2024

India's Virat Kohli (left) and Rohit Sharma in this frame. (Getty)

Highlights:

Rohit Sharma has stormed into top 3 of ICC's ODI Batting rankings.

Rohit Sharma scored back-to-back fifties in first and second ODIs against Sri Lanka.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has made significant strides in the ICC ODI batting rankings. In the the latest update on August 7, 2024, Sharma has moved up to the third position, edging closer to the top-ranked Babar Azam of Pakistan.

Rohit Sharma Climbs ODI Rankings

Sharma's impressive performance in the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka, where he amassed 122 runs at a strike rate of 134, propelled him up the rankings. He now sits just 61 rating points behind Babar Azam. Rohit's opening partner, Shubman Gill, maintains his second position with 782 rating points.

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Rohit Sharma Returns to Top Form

Rohit Sharma has made a triumphant return to the top echelons of ODI batting. After a strong performance in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, where he scored 58 and 64 in the first two matches respectively, Rohit has re-entered the top three of the ICC ODI rankings for the first time since February 2022. This marks a significant achievement for the Indian captain, who has been out of ODI action since the World Cup final last November.

Despite contributing only 51 runs in the series thus far, Rohit's opening partner, Shubman Gill, has managed to retain his second spot in the rankings. Gill has been a consistent performer and briefly held the number one position during the ODI World Cup.

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Axar Patel and Janith Liyanage surge in Rankings

The recent ODI series between India and Sri Lanka has also seen significant movement in the batting rankings for Axar Patel and Janith Liyanage. Patel has made a substantial leap of 35 places to reach the 178th position, while Liyanage has climbed 10 spots to occupy the 76th rank.

Axar contributed 77 runs across the two innings, with a notable knock of 44 in India's loss in the second ODI. Liyanage, on the other hand, managed a combined score of 32 runs from his two outings. In addition to his batting prowess, Axar has also managed to break into the top 100 of the bowler rankings.

Kuldeep Yadav rises in bowling rankings

Meanwhile, India's Kuldeep Yadav enjoyed a significant rise in the ICC ODI bowlers' rankings, climbing five spots to re-enter the top five. His impressive figures of 2/33 in the second match of the series propelled him to a shared fourth position with South Africa's Keshav Maharaj.

The series also brought positive movement for other spinners. Sri Lanka's Dunith Wellalage ascended five places to 76th, while India's Akshar Patel made a substantial leap of 37 positions to 96th after a commendable spell of 1/36 in the second encounter.

India's Washington Sundar and Sri Lanka's Jeffrey Vandersay were also rewarded for their performances. Sundar's three-wicket haul in the second match propelled him 45 places to a shared 97th position, while Vandersay's impressive showing saw him jump an impressive 64 spots to 104th in the ICC bowling rankings.

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