Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has regained the number one spot in the ICC Men's ODI Bowling Rankings after his scintillating performances against Bangladesh in the 3-0 series clean sweep in Abu Dhabi.
Rashid, who took 11 wickets in the series, including a breathtaking five-wicket haul in the second ODI, leaped five places to the No.1 position with 710 rating points, 30 points ahead of South Africa's Keshav Maharaj. This is Rashid's return to the top for the first time since November 2024, and his first ever rise to the top in September 2018.
His teammate, Azmatullah Omarzai, was also impressive, going up by 19 places to a career-high 21st position after picking seven wickets in the series. Omarzai, however, secures the no. 1 spot in all-rounder's rankings with 334 points. Among Bangladesh bowlers, Mehidy Hasan Miraz improved by four places to 24th, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib went up by 24 places to 67th after impressive performances.
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Afghan Batting Sensation Ibrahim Zadran Rises ICC Rankings
Afghanistan's batting sensation-in-the-making, Ibrahim Zadran, maintained his meteoric rise by climbing eight positions to a career-high second in the ICC ODI Batting Rankings.
Zadran made 213 runs in the three games with two match-winning innings, and he was awarded the Player of the Series. His 690 rating points are a record high for an Afghan batter, which beats Rahmanullah Gurbaz's earlier record of 686 points.
Gurbaz also gained, moving two positions to 16th, while Bangladesh's Towhid Hridoy gained seven positions to 42nd and Mohammad Nabi went up six positions to 50th. Azmatullah Omarzai reclaimed the No.1 spot in the all-rounders' rankings, his second stint thereof, with Rashid Khan going up to fourth.
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Updates From ICC Test Rankings
In Test cricket, India's Kuldeep Yadav achieved a career-best 14th ranking after grabbing eight wickets in the second Test against the West Indies in New Delhi.
With the bat, Yashaswi Jaiswal shifted to fifth position following a dominant 175, while KL Rahul moved two spots higher to 33rd on the back of scores of 38 and 58*. For the West Indies, Shai Hope moved 34 positions higher to 66th and John Campbell moved six positions higher to 68th after both scored hundreds in the second innings.
These performances indicate the ongoing improvement of Afghan cricket and excellent performances by Indian cricketers, pointing toward talent in both ODI and Test cricket.
