Shubman Gill dethrones Babar Azam to become No. 1 ODI batsman | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill‘s scintillating form in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 brought an end to Babar Azam‘s reign as the world’s No. 1 ODI batsman. Gill ascended to the pinnacle of the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings, dethroning Pakistan’s captain Babar on Wednesday.
Gill’s rapid rise to the top was fueled by his explosive start to India’s campaign in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.He became only the fourth player from India to claim the No. 1 ODI batsman position, joining the ranks of cricket legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, andVirat Kohli.
The right-handed batsman showcased his prowess with scores of 92 against Sri Lanka and 23 against South Africa, accumulating a total of 219 runs from six innings in the ongoing tournament.
Babar accumulated 282 runs from eight innings in the World Cup, falling six rating points behind Gill to secure the second spot, marking the end of his more than two-year reign as the world’s top ODI batsman.

Meanwhile, former captain Virat Kohli made a strong comeback, securing the fourth position in the rankings.
Gill claimed the top spot for the first time in his remarkable career, while Kohli advanced three places to fourth.

He now stands just one rating point behind the third-placed South African opener, Quinton de Kock, all thanks to his impressive tally of 543 runs in the World Cup.
Notably, Shreyas Iyer, another Indian batsman, made a significant leap, surging 17 positions to the 18th spot in the overall list of ODI batters. Pakistan’s opener, Fakhar Zaman, also climbed three places to 11th, while Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran moved up six spots to secure the 12th position, marking their progress in the rankings.