Sri Lanka's star spinner Maheesh Theekshana has taken a giant leap in the ICC's latest ODI bowlers' rankings on January 15, Wednesday. Theekshana has been rewarded for his exceptional show with the ball during the recent series against New Zealand. Theekshana has clocked a career milestone by breaking into the top three of the ICC Men's ODI Bowlers' Rankings for the first time. His stunning bowling against New Zealand did the trick for him as he took a total of seven wickets throughout the series.
Maheesh Theekshana grabs no.3 spot in ICC's ODI Bowlers' Rankings
In the first ODI, Theekshana sizzled with the ball by picking four wickets, including a sensational hat-trick. He concluded the match with impressive bowling figures of 4/44. Although he managed to bag three wickets in the second ODI, however, Sri Lanka unfortunately lost the series 2-1.
With this Theekshana, who was bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 4.40 crore in the IPL 2025 auction after being released by Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has achieved a new career-high ranking in the latest ICC ODI bowler rankings. He has climbed to 663 rating points, placing him just six points behind the top-ranked Rashid Khan (669) and two points behind India's Kuldeep Yadav (665).
Theekshana's impact extends beyond bowling. He has also made significant strides in the all-rounder rankings as well, climbing four spots to equal 26th position.
On the other hand, New Zealand pacer Matt Henry has also surged in the ODI bowler rankings. With a remarkable nine wickets at an average of 10.33 in the series, Henry has moved up three spots to equal-ninth position with 635 rating points.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has also climbed up in the standings, moving two places up to grab 15th position. This upward trend reflects his consistent performances in recent matches. Sri Lankan bowler Asitha Fernando has experienced a certain rise, climbing 34 places to equal 97th position after an impressive spell of 3/26 from seven overs.
In terms of the ICC ODI batting rankings, there have been minimal changes. Pakistan's Babar Azam continues to reign supreme in the standings with with 795 rating points, followed closely by India skipper Rohit Sharma at 765 points. Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli maintain their positions at third and fourth, respectively. With the upcoming ODI series between Pakistan and India, followed by the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, these top players will have opportunities to further enhance their rankings. Sri Lanka's Charith Asalanka has meanwhile dropped five places to 18th position.