logo
Two new players claim No.1 ranking ahead of Champions Trophy

Two new players claim No.1 ranking ahead of Champions Trophy

A pair of international stars have risen to the top and claimed the No.1 spot on the latest ICC Men's Player Rankings ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
India right-hander Shubman Gill overtakes former Pakistan captain Babar Azam to become the top ranked ODI batter in the world, while Sri Lanka spinner Maheesh Theekshana climbs atop the Men's ODI Bowling Rankings - taking the premier position for the first time by surpassing Afghanistan tweaker Rashid Khan. WATCH: Pakistan v India | Match Highlights | 2017 Champions Trophy Final
Pakistan v India | Match Highlights | 2017 Champions Trophy Final
It's a major shake-up at the top of the rankings just prior to the start of the Champions Trophy and leaves an interesting sub-plot to what will transpire over the coming weeks during the eight-team tournament in Pakistan and Dubai.
This is the second time Gill has held the No.1 ranking in ODI cricket, with the India batter having also gone past Babar to claim top spot midway through the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2023. WATCH: Gill unleashes in Bengaluru | CWC23
Shubman Gill hit four sixes during his fifty.
Gill has been in excellent form of late, with his century against England in Ahmedabad during the third ODI of the recently concluded series enough to catapult the 25-year-old to the top of the rankings.
Men's ODI Batter Rankings
Babar drops to second place and 23 rating points behind the new No.1, while India skipper Rohit Sharma remains in the third spot and 45 rating points behind his fellow Indian opener. WATCH: India v England | Match Highlights | 2013 Champions Trophy Final
India v England | Match Highlights | 2013 Champions Trophy Final
New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell (up two places to fifth) and Sri Lanka dasher Charith Asalanka (up eight spots to eighth) also make ground inside the top 10, while Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan climbs six places to 15th with a new career-high rating.
New Zealand duo Devon Conway (up five rungs to 35th) and Glenn Phillips (up six places to 41st) also make good ground on the list for ODI batters this week, with in-form Pakistan right-hander Salman Agha jumping 24 spots to 48th on the back of good displays in the recent Tri-Nation series.
WATCH: The Champions Trophy arrives in Pakistan
DP World ensures the Champions Trophy arrives in Pakistan
Things are just as tight in the latest Men's ODI Bowling Rankings, with Theekshana gaining top spot from Rashid on the back of an excellent series on home soil against Australia.
Men's ODI Bowler Rankings
While Sri Lanka won't be featuring at the Champions Trophy, Theekshana earned the top spot following his exploits against the Aussies that included an excellent four-wicket haul in the opening match of that series in Colombo.
WATCH: Theekshana in action at the T20 World Cup
Meanwhile, Afghan spin wizard Rashid drops to second and will be keen to regain the No.1 spot as he trails his Sri Lankan counterpart by just 11 rating points, while a trio of spinners in India's squad Kuldeep Yadav (up one place to fourth), South Africa's Keshav Maharaj (re-enters the rankings in sixth) and New Zealand's Mitchell Santner (up four rungs to seventh) are all inside the top 10 after making ground this week.
Afghanistan veteran Mohammad Nabi maintains a lead at the top of the rankings for ODI all-rounders, with Santner gaining one place inside the top 10 to move up to sixth overall.
Men's ODI All-Rounder Rankings ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 News Men's Rankings Shubman Gill 09/08/1999 Maheesh Theekshana 08/01/2000

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

England's Bazball 2.0 beats Shubman Gill's nascent India Test captaincy
England's Bazball 2.0 beats Shubman Gill's nascent India Test captaincy

The National

time2 hours ago

  • The National

England's Bazball 2.0 beats Shubman Gill's nascent India Test captaincy

When India won the preceding home series against England 4-1 last year, it was thought that the much-hyped 'Bazball' cricket would be buried quickly. After all, an all-out attacking brand of batting only works in conditions that reward positivity over caution. The moment the pitch starts to do something out of the ordinary, the same attacking mindset starts to resemble recklessness. But, as they say, fortune favours the brave. And if England wanted to pull off what seemed unthinkable, 2025 was the year. This is the year of firsts; PSG won their first Uefa Champions League title, Bengaluru lifted their first IPL trophy, Spurs clinched the Europa League for their first trophy in 17 years, South Africa won their maiden world cricket title in the WTC final against Australia … this list is quite long. So could England really hope to win the opening Test in Leeds against India who had five of their batters score centuries? It had never happened in the history of cricket, but this is the year of firsts. India were on the brink of batting England out of the contest at 430-3 in the first innings as three top order players hit tons. Then, the visitors lost 7-41. It was a similar story in the second innings where India went from 333-4 to 364 all out. A target of under 400 (371) on the last day of a Test on a true surface was just what England wanted. India's bowling had already been exposed in the first innings and they possessed no real threat apart from Jasprit Bumrah. And this is where Bazball 2.0 – named after swashbuckling former batter and England coach Brendon McCullum – became into being. The first innings score of 465 was mainly down to luck as India grassed six clear chances, including the wicket of Harry Brook off a no-ball. Brook went on to make 99, handing India a slender lead of just six. Had the tourists taken any of the chances, they would have had a substantial lead and could have buried the game on Day 4. But there was hardly any luck involved on the final day. Openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley added 188 for the opening wicket inside 43 overs, ensuring the required rate never went beyond four even if a couple of wickets fell. Duckett in particular stood out for his ploy against the biggest threat on the last day pitch – left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. The left-handed batter reverse swept Jadeja into oblivion, forcing the Indian team to switch to a defensive line and field placing. That in turn allowed England to milk the bowling without taking many risks. Duckett's 149 from 170 balls was as breathtaking as it was chanceless, for most parts. It took ages for Gill to understand what was being done to Jadeja, who simply could not attack the rough outside the left-handers' off stump. Even after Duckett, Brook and Ben Stokes got out, England did not panic. Joe Root and Jamie Smith remained positive against the rest of the attack and played out Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj. India had dominated most of the first four days of the Test. But England were always close behind, never letting India move too far ahead and pouncing on every mistake from the visitors with the bat and in the field. That is what Bazball 2.0 should entail; an attacking mindset that also allows for holding patterns and absorbing punches. India, on the other hand, played like a team led by an inexperienced leader. Gill looked completely lost as England reverse swept Jadeja all day; he did not ask Jadeja to bowl a wider line and use the rough earlier in the innings. On the final day, senior batter KL Rahul was seen setting the field. That suggests the team composition, field setting and even bowling changes are being done through consensus and not a strong leadership. India's main bowlers – Bumrah and Siraj – went wicketless on the final day. And Gill had no response. Still, one can't be too critical of Gill as India's fielders dropped close to 10 chances in the Test; Yashasvi Jaiswal grassing most of them. Had India held on to those opportunities, even average captaincy would have been enough to secure a draw, if not outright victory. As things stand, England showed the value of staying switched on in every session, even when the opposition is 430-3 in the first innings. For Gill, it was a tough initiation to Test cricket captaincy where India became the first team in history to lose a match despite hitting five centuries. England, meanwhile, chased down the 10th highest target in Tests. How many more firsts will be seen over the next four Tests will depend upon England's clarity in their approach and India's willingness to acknowledge and address their mistakes.

Duckett ton powers England to exhilarating victory over India
Duckett ton powers England to exhilarating victory over India

Gulf Today

time8 hours ago

  • Gulf Today

Duckett ton powers England to exhilarating victory over India

Ben Duckett's superb 149 laid the foundation for a record-breaking England win as they beat India by five wickets in a dramatic first Test at Headingley on Tuesday. Victory meant England became the first team to concede five individual hundreds in a first-class game — a span of more than 60,000 matches — and still win. England, set 371 to win, finished on 373-5 in the last session of the fifth day as they went 1-0 up in a five-match series. Jamie Smith (44 not out) stayed true to the aggressive 'Bazball' style that has seen England make light of several stiff run-chases with a six off spinner Ravindra Jadeja for the winning runs. Joe Root was 53 not out on his Yorkshire home ground after opener Duckett had launched the pursuit in style during an impressive first-wicket stand of 188 with Zak Crawley (65). India's attack was led by Jasprit Bumrah, the world's number one-ranked Test bowler but, remarkably, the paceman failed to take a wicket in the second innings following his 5-83 earlier in the game. England's win was their second highest fourth-innings chase to win a Test, behind the 378 they made against India at Edgbaston three years ago when Root hit an unbeaten century, against an attack featuring Bumrah. This result condemned Shubman Gill, who scored a first-innings century, to defeat in his first match as India captain. India piled up 835 runs in the match, with Rishabh Pant (134 and 118) only the second wicket-keeper to score hundreds in both innings of a Test. Only three times in Test history has a team made more runs in a Test and lost, with collapses of 7-41 and 6-31 at end of each innings proving costly for India in Leeds. The match was still in the balance in the final session. With England 253-4, needing a further 118 to win, skipper Ben Stokes joined Root after Shardul Thakur took two wickets in two balls including the prize scalp of Duckett. The experienced duo shared a fifty partnership before Stokes top-edged a reverse-sweep off Jadeja that looped gently to Gill at short third man. Root's poise and a late flurry of power from Smith carried the hosts home with five wickets to spare. Prasidh Krishna, in only his fourth Test, had previously struck twice in quick succession to leave England 206-2 following a superb opening stand between Duckett and Crawley as they withstood a stern test from Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. After a 20-minute stoppage for rain in the afternoon, India broke through when Crawley edged paceman Krishna to KL Rahul at first slip. Crawley's exit brought in Ollie Pope, who made 106 in the first innings, but he was bowled for eight by Krishna. Duckett continued his assault with a remarkable reverse sweep for six off Jadeja. But he was fortunate to complete his sixth hundred in 34 Tests. Duckett was on 97 when he top-edged a pull off Siraj only for Yashasvi Jaiswal, running in from the boundary, to drop the catch to the bowler's visible fury. 'Incredible, what a Test match. It was a huge number of runs and we have been lucky with the weather,' Duckett said. 'I am lost for words. We only had to look at the scoreboard to know that if we batted the overs, we would win the game. There were moments when I thought about stepping into another gear but the breaks in the game helped us to stay calm. 'To start this series with a 1-0 win is huge for us. It felt calm in the dressing room. To have Root out there, it's pretty easy to be calm.' Duckett's impressive innings ended when he drove Thakur to short extra cover where substitute fielder Nitish Kumar Reddy, in a game of dropped chances, clung on to a sharp catch. Next ball Harry Brook, out for 99 in the first innings, fell for a golden duck but the bulk of the work was already done as the cool heads of Root, Stokes and Smith steered England over the line. 'We had our chances,' India captain Shubman Gill said. 'A few dropped catches and the lower order not contributing as much as we would like (cost us) but I am proud. Our young team is learning. 'It just didn't go our way in this match. We have to rectify (the batting collapses) in the upcoming matches.' Agencies

Kuwait hope ILT20 link up will mark ‘momentous' shift in cricket landscape in the region
Kuwait hope ILT20 link up will mark ‘momentous' shift in cricket landscape in the region

The National

time10 hours ago

  • The National

Kuwait hope ILT20 link up will mark ‘momentous' shift in cricket landscape in the region

When the DP World International League T20 first mooted plans to expand its footprint around the region, the likely destinations seemed obvious. There is already a scenic, well-appointed cricket venue in Muscat, where Oman have one-day international status. Saudi Arabia, too, has big plans for the sport, and a rapidly growing expat community of cricket lovers, albeit without a stadium with grass as yet. Doha has an international cricket venue that has hosted star names of the international game in the past. It also has a ready audience of fans, particularly from South Asia. Instead, the UAE franchise competition's first link up is with a country whose entire programme has to schedule playing time on its one grass cricket facility. Last week, the ILT20 announced an agreement with Kuwait Cricket. It said it will organise matches in the country which will be aimed at identifying and developing players. That includes plans to stage a development tournament similar to the one in Dubai which helps the six ILT20 franchises select local players for their squads. The organisers also stated that, 'in the coming years, the league will also aim to host ILT20 matches in Kuwait'. 'Kuwait is very important to us; it is a great country and keen on promoting and further developing cricket,' Khalid Al Zarooni, the chairman of the ILT20, said. 'Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf countries are all one. [Cricket playing] communities are residing throughout the region and our aim with the DP World ILT20 is to grow and develop the game in the entire region.' The link up is an acknowledgement for the strides the country has made in the sport. Imperceptibly, Kuwait have been making a mark in the game in recent times. They have reached number 23 in the T20I world standings. That is the third best of any side in the Gulf region, behind the two most established sides – the UAE and Oman. It also puts them above sides like Hong Kong, Kenya and Bermuda, who have held ODI status in the past. Last winter, they fell two runs short of what would have been a statement win, when they lost to the UAE in the final of the Gulf T20I Championship at Dubai International Stadium. Frustrated as they were by failing to close out what would have been their biggest success to date, coach Qasim Ali said that game was a sign of the progress they are making. 'It would've been great for the lads and great for the country because UAE are a powerhouse in the GCC,' Qasim said. 'To beat them in their own backyard in their stadium, which the lads have never played in, would've been a momentous achievement for our side. 'Obviously, it was a little bit personal for me as well, but that comes secondary in terms of what we're trying to achieve. It would've been brilliant, but I think UAE have realised that we've gone up a few gears as well.' It was 'personal' for Qasim because he has a strong affinity with UAE cricket himself. He helped develop a number of the leading players in the country in his former role at head coach at the ICC Academy in Dubai, and remains a resident of the city. Over the past 18 months he has helped push Kuwaiti cricket forward. Now he believes the link up with the ILT20 can help fast forward the progress. 'Without a shadow doubt, this is a huge moment in the landscape of GCC cricket,' he said. 'This is fantastic for Kuwait Cricket, and everybody associated with Kuwait, past, present and future. 'It really sets the milestone for where we are headed strategically, to partner with ILT20. It allows our players to come and demonstrate their skills in a professional franchise environment, which none of our lads have been involved in. 'To have a development programme in Kuwait itself, backed by ILT20, is a huge achievement. We cannot overstate how important this will be for our players locally.' The coach said the partnership is the result of 'a lot of hard work' by Kuwait Cricket's president Haider Farman and secretary general Sajid Ashraf. 'It opens the door to a long-awaited dream: enabling our Kuwait players to pursue full-time professional cricket careers on the international franchise stage,' Ashraf said. Ashraf hopes it will help drive investment, saying there is a cricket-loving community of two million people in Kuwait, in a country of five million. 'This initiative provides a unique opportunity for Kuwaiti brands to expand their footprint regionally, starting with the UAE,' Ashraf said. 'We are deeply passionate about our Kuwaiti businesses becoming an integral part of both [Kuwait Cricket] and the DP World ILT20. 'These well-established corporations in Kuwait have so much to offer in supporting the continued growth of cricket across the region.' While the facilities for the sport in Kuwait are some way behind the UAE and Oman at present, Qasim is hopeful they will see ILT20 matches there at some point soon. 'It would be fantastic for our fan base, players, administrators, local businesses to see some of the best stars coming over to Kuwait,' the coach said. 'We're a little way off from that, but I would love to see that sooner rather than later. Obviously there are other countries in the region who've probably got a ready-made set-up. 'If we could get something in Kuwait to back up the development programme, and some of our players going into the auction and being picked by the franchises, maybe some of the coaches, that would be a big success for us.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store