In a recent twist of events, former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has regained the pinnacle position in the ICC ODI batsmen rankings, even though he has not been active in the One Day International scene for nearly 40 days. The latest rankings issued on Wednesday, December 20th show the proficient cricketer with 824 rating points edging past Shubman Gill, who now stands at the second spot with 810 ratings following his absence from the current ODI series against South Africa.
This development comes as quite the headline, especially considering that Pakistan last participated in an ODI on November 11th in a World Cup league stage game against England. Interestingly for Babar Azam, this period of inactivity has been a blessing in disguise, helping him retain his rating points while his Indian counterpart, Shubman Gill, could not maintain his lead due to missing out on India’s recent ODI fixtures.
As the cricket world turns its eyes towards the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground where Babar is set to represent Pakistan against Australia starting December 26th, this boost to his ranking serves as a commendable prelude.
In the realm of batsmanship, no other cricketer amongst the top 10 ODI rankings has experienced a change in status. India’s powerhouse duo, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, firmly hold on to the third and fourth positions, respectively. On the bowling front, Australia’s Adam Zampa has leapt up the bowlers’ ranks to claim the fourth position, relegating India’s speedster Jasprit Bumrah to the fifth spot, mirroring Gill’s fall in the batting rankings.
Shifting our focus to the T20 International rankings, India’s Suryakumar Yadav shines brightly. Following an exceptional series performance against South Africa, he comfortably sits atop the leaderboard with an imposing 887 rating points—a considerable 100-point lead over Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan. South African Aiden Markram remains in third position, with Babar Azam slipping to fourth, and South Africa’s IPL sensation, Rilee Rossouw, rounds out the top five T20I batters.
The bowlers’ T20I arena shows English leg-spinner Adil Rashid climbing to the zenith. His sterling performance, which has seen him claim seven wickets at an economy rate of under 7 in an ongoing high-scoring T20I series against the West Indies, has earned him the top spot. Meanwhile, Rashid Khan holds the second position and India’s Ravi Bishnoi has descended to the third rank.
While these rankings deliver a snapshot of the ever-evolving cricket scene, notable events and performances continue to unfold on and off the pitch. The cricket fraternity witnessed a moment of confusion during the IPL auction as Punjab Kings initially selected the wrong player, Shashank Singh, only to realise their error later on. In women’s cricket, fans and players alike are gearing up for the one-off Test match between India and Australia at the Wankhede Stadium, with expectations high for both teams.
England’s T20 phenom Phil Salt, however, has been left to ponder what could have been after being overlooked in the IPL auction despite his back-to-back T20 century heroics against the West Indies.
As the cricket community anticipates upcoming encounters and ponders these ranking adjustments, players like Babar Azam continue to make headlines, silently ascending the rankings and proving that sometimes, inaction can be just as beneficial as performance on the field.
