Shubman Gill, India’s young prodigy, has achieved the top spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Rankings for batsmen owing to his decent performance in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. His teammate Mohammed Siraj has also claimed the No. 1 position in the ODI Men’s Rankings for bowlers. Gill's remarkable rise saw him displacing Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, from the top spot. Gill is only the fourth player from India to hold the No. 1 position in the ODI rankings, joining the ranks of Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli.
Siraj's stellar performances in recent matches during the World Cup propelled him to the top spot in the bowlers' rankings. India, who have maintained an unbeaten record in the World Cup 2023 after eight matches, have shown their dominance in the ICC rankings. Apart from Gill and Siraj topping the ODI rankings, India have several players leading in different formats.
Gill, a right-handed batsman, has accumulated 219 runs from six innings in the ongoing tournament, with a notable score of 92 against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, who has scored 282 runs in the World Cup, is now in the second position, trailing Gill by six rating points. This marks the end of his more than two-year reign as the world's No. 1 ODI batsman.
Siraj has had a remarkable year in ODIs, with his strong performances with the ball. Although he had a slower start in the World Cup 2023, his recent outings have been excellent. Earlier this year, he secured a six-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 final. He played a significant role in India's victories against the same opponent.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, who previously held the No. 1 spot in the ODI bowler rankings, has slipped to fifth place. Meanwhile, former India captain Virat Kohli has claimed the fourth position in the rankings. Gill has reached the top spot in the ODI rankings for the first time in his promising career, while Kohli has moved up three places to fourth, closely trailing third-placed South African opener Quinton de Kock by just one rating point, thanks to his impressive 543 runs in the World Cup 2023.
Shifting our focus to India's performance in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, they have been in exceptional form, winning all eight of their matches and leading the points table. They secured their spot in the semi-finals of the tournament before any other team. Key players like Kohli and Rohit Sharma have led the way with the bat, while Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have excelled in taking wickets for the team. Their next and the last league stage assignment will come in the form of the Netherlands on November 12 (Sunday) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.