Shubman Gill got a massive boost ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as the India opener dethroned Pakistan’s Babar Azam to become the new world no.1 batter in the latest ICC ODI rankings, announced on Wednesday. This is the second time, Shubman Gill has gotten to the no.1 position in the ICC rankings.
Interestingly, the last time Shubman Gill rose to the top spot, it was during the 2023 ODI World Cup and leaving behind Babar Azam back then. The India vice-captain has been in tremendous form in the lead up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with two fifties and a hundred in the three-match ODI series against England at home.
In fact, it was his seventh ODI hundred in Ahmedabad during the third game against England, that was enough to catapult the 25-year-old to the top of the rankings. Babar Azam dropped to second and is 23 points behind the new world no.1.
India captain Rohit Sharma, who returned to form with a century against England in Cuttack during the second ODI, remained static in the third spot. New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell (5th) and Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka (8th) made impressive gains to enter the top 10 while Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan rose six places to 15th.
New Zealand duo Devon Conway (35th) and Glenn Phillips (41st) also make good ground following their show in the Tri-series.
Maheesh Theekshana is new No.1 bowler
Among the bowlers, the world will see a new no.1 as Sri Lankan Maheesh Theekshana was rewarded for his excellent show against the Australians in the two-match ODI series in Colombo, thus surpassing Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid Khan.
However, the Afghanistan leg-spinner will be keen to regain his lost spot in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. India’s 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), have all made significant gains in the latest ICC Rankings for bowlers in the ODIs.
In the list of all-rounders, Afghanistan veteran Mohammad Nabi maintains a lead, with New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner gaining one place inside the top 10 to move up to sixth overall.
