Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 19: New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell has surged to the top of the ICC Men’s ODI batting rankings, displacing India captain Rohit Sharma, while Jasprit Bumrah continues to dominate as the world’s leading Test bowler.
Mitchell’s rise is historic—he becomes the first New Zealander since Glenn Turner in 1979 to claim the No. 1 ODI batting spot. His match-winning 119 off 118 balls in the opening ODI against the West Indies propelled him to the summit before a groin injury sidelined him for the remainder of the series. That standout century earned him the Player of the Match award and pushed him one rating point ahead of Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran and Rohit, ending Rohit’s brief 22-day stint at the top. While several Kiwi stars including Nathan Astle, Ross Taylor, and Kane Williamson have previously reached as high as No. 3, none have matched Mitchell’s new milestone in the last 46 years.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam also made gains, climbing to sixth following his unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. Teammates Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman moved up to 22nd and 26th respectively after scoring two half-centuries each in the series.
In the ODI bowling charts, Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed jumped 11 positions to reach a career-best ninth after taking three wickets in the second ODI against Sri Lanka. Haris Rauf climbed to 23rd, while the West Indies’ Jayden Seales and Roston Chase advanced to 20th and 46th respectively.
In Test cricket, India’s Jasprit Bumrah retained his No. 1 ranking after a six-wicket haul—including a five-for—in the opening Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens. Kuldeep Yadav rose two places to a personal-best 13th, and Ravindra Jadeja moved up four spots to 15th. South African off-spinner Simon Harmer made an impressive leap of 20 places to 24th following his match-winning eight-wicket performance.
Meanwhile, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma reached a career-high fifth in the Test batting rankings after an unbeaten 55 in a tense, low-scoring contest in Kolkata.
Bangladesh players also made significant strides: captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto climbed to 34th and Mahmudul Hasan Joy jumped 19 spots to 74th after their centuries secured an innings victory over Ireland. Ireland’s Paul Stirling moved from 96th to 80th.
In T20Is, New Zealand’s Tim Robinson rose eight places to a career-best 15th after scoring 45 in the final match against the West Indies. Pace bowler Jacob Duffy improved to second among T20I bowlers, while Mitchell Santner (up to 18th) and Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz (up to 27th) also advanced in the rankings.