ICC World Cup 2023: India batter Shubman Gill’s whirlwind form in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 ended Babar Azam’s reign as the world’s No. 1 ODI batter, as the Men in Blue opener took over the top spot from Pakistan captain in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings on Wednesday.
Gill’s stellar start to India’s campaign in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup led to his ascent to the top spot, making him only the fourth player from India to hold the No. 1 ODI batter position. He joins the elite company of cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli in this regard.
During the ongoing tournament, the right-handed opener showcased his incredible batting prowess by scoring 92 runs against Sri Lanka and 23 runs against South Africa, accumulating a total of 219 runs from six innings.
Babar Azam, Pakistan’s captain, had held the top spot for more than two years but fell behind Gill into the second position, amassing 282 runs from eight knocks in the World Cup. Virat Kohli, India’s former captain, secured the fourth spot in the rankings and is within one rating point of third-placed South African opener Quinton de Kock, thanks to his impressive 543 World Cup runs.
In addition to Gill’s achievement, his teammate Shreyas Iyer leapt 17 ranks to reach the 18th position in the list of ODI batters. Pakistan’s opener Fakhar Zaman climbed three places to 11th, while Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran moved up six spots to 12th, signifying significant progress and making a mark in the rankings.
Shubman Gill’s ascendancy to the top spot in the ICC ODI Rankings is a testament to his remarkable skills and an exciting development in his promising career.