Web Desk: Pakistan have moved up one place to fourth in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) men’s ODI team rankings, while India’s Virat Kohli climbed to second in the batting standings after another record-breaking performance.
The latest rankings, released on Wednesday, reflected a busy week in one-day cricket, with several batters making significant gains following a string of centuries. The ICC said eight hundreds were scored in ODIs during the past week, including six on Sept. 27 alone.
Kohli moved up one position to second in the ODI batting rankings after an unbeaten 139 against the West Indies in the opening match of their series.
The innings, which included nine sixes, earned Kohli his 55th ODI century and lifted his rating to 796 points. He also became only the second player after Sachin Tendulkar to reach 15,000 ODI runs.
India captain Shubman Gill retained the top position with 816 points, keeping Kohli within striking distance of the summit. New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell remained third with 794 points, while Rohit Sharma occupied fourth place with 719.
Pakistan also made progress in the team standings, rising one position to fourth.
Among Pakistan’s individual players, Babar Azam remained sixth in the ODI batting rankings. Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, meanwhile, slipped one place to eighth.
The movement comes as the ICC’s rankings remain particularly significant ahead of the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup, with the rankings cutoff on Sept. 30 determining several qualification places.
Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis was another major beneficiary of the latest update.
His 121-run innings earned him a three-place rise to seventh, marking the highest ODI batting position of his career.
England’s Tom Banton, South Africa’s Temba Bavuma and David Miller, and West Indies batter Justin Greaves were also among the players who made notable gains after scoring centuries during the latest round of matches. The ICC said six centuries on Sept. 27 represented the highest number recorded in a single day in the format.
The bowling rankings also saw movement, particularly among the leading spinners.
South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj moved into third place, while India’s Kuldeep Yadav climbed to fifth. Australia’s Josh Hazlewood rounded out the top 10.
The latest changes underline the impact of recent ODI performances, with strong individual displays translating into significant movement across the ICC rankings.
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