Shubman Gill becomes ODI No 1 batter [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]
In a major shake-up in the ICC ODI rankings, India's young batting sensation Shubman Gill has climbed to the No. 1 spot, surpassing Pakistan’s Babar Azam. Gill now holds the top position in the latest ICC ODI batting rankings with 796 rating points, while Babar has dropped to second place with 773 points.
How Did Gill Become No. 1?
Shubman Gill was just five points behind Babar Azam before the latest update. His consistent performances in the ongoing ODI series against England played a crucial role in securing the top rank. His back-to-back half-centuries in the series helped him overtake Babar, who had held the No. 1 spot for a long time.
Gill played brilliantly in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against England. In the first match at Nagpur’s VCA Stadium on February 6, he scored 87 runs off 96 balls. In the second ODI at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium, he played another solid knock of 60 runs from 52 balls. The final match, held at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on February 19, saw Gill shine once again as he opened the innings and smashed 112 runs.
It is worth noting that this is the second time Gill has held the No. 1 ranking in ODI cricket. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have maintained their positions in the top 10, with Rohit staying at No. 3 and Kohli at No. 6.
Apart from Gill, Shreyas Iyer has also improved his ICC ODI ranking. With scores of 59, 44, and 78 in the three matches against England, Iyer has moved up one spot to become the No. 9 ranked ODI batter with 679 rating points.