In cricket, rankings reflect a player’s skill, consistency, and impact on the game. Mohammad Siraj, the talented Indian fast bowler, has again made a significant mark in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings. His exceptional performance in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka in Colombo has propelled him back to the coveted number-one position among bowlers.
Siraj’s journey to the top spot has been nothing short of sensational. Earlier this year, he reached the pinnacle of the ICC ODI bowler rankings in January. However, he was briefly displaced by Josh Hazlewood in March. Now, with a scintillating performance against Sri Lanka, he has surged an impressive eight spots to reclaim his throne.
In the Asia Cup final, Siraj’s fiery spell saw him capture six wickets for just 21 runs. This remarkable haul was pivotal in dismissing the Sri Lankan team for 50 runs. It also paved the way for India to secure a resounding 10-wicket victory, making it a day for the young fast bowler to remember.
While Siraj’s resurgence captured the headlines, South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj also made significant strides in the latest ICC rankings update. Maharaj, a talented spinner, played a crucial role in South Africa’s remarkable comeback against Australia. South Africa emerged victorious after losing the first two matches of the five-match ODI series.
In the final match of the series, Maharaj’s impressive figures of four wickets for 33 runs helped seal the series win for South Africa. His outstanding performance propelled him to the 15th position in the ODI bowler rankings, a remarkable jump of 10 places from his previous career best.
The latest ICC rankings update also witnessed several other bowlers and batsmen making significant progress. Among the notable movers in the bowler rankings are Afghanistan’s spin duo, Mujeeb-ur Rahman (up two to fourth) and Rashid Khan (up three to fifth). England’s versatile all-rounder, Chris Woakes, climbed to the 11th position, while South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi secured the 21st spot.
PCB Seeks Compensation From Jay Shah-Led ACC, Check Full Report
South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen and England’s Dawid Malan made impressive strides in the batting charts. Klaasen’s explosive innings of 174 against Australia catapulted him into the top 10 for the first time. Malan reached a career-best 13th position after amassing 277 runs in the series against New Zealand.
One of the most significant batting improvements came from Ben Stokes, who gained 13 spots to reach the 36th position. Stokes achieved this feat after recording England’s highest-ever individual score of 182 at The Oval.
The latest rankings update witnessed a shuffling of positions in both the bowling and batting categories. South Africa’s David Miller (up four places to 17th), Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka (up two places to 28th), Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hassan (up five places to joint-29th), and Australia’s wicketkeeper Alex Carey (up three places to joint-29th) were among the players who moved up in the batting rankings.
