‘Credit goes to Ahmedabad flat track’ – Fans react as Shubman Gill rises to career-best No. 4 in ODI batting rankings

India’s young batting sensation Shubman Gill achieved his career-best ranking in the batting charts of Men’s ODI Rankings, updated on Wednesday, August 23. The Indian opener now has 743 rating points and is ranked fourth on the list as India’s highest-ranked batter in the 50-over format. Gill and Virat Kohli are the only two Indians to feature in the top 10.

Gill was ranked No. 5 in the previous rankings after his impressive performance in the third ODI against West Indies. The 23-year-old has been impressive so far this year, scoring 750 runs in 12 matches and centuries in all formats of the game. He also smashed a double century against New Zealand. With the 2023 Asia Cup and ODI World Cup coming up, India have high hopes for the youngster to lead the batting unit from the front.

The Cricket Governing Body updated the rankings after the first ODI between Pakistan and Afghanistan where the former registered a massive 142 runs. Despite going for a duck in the series opener, Pakistan captain Babar Azam (880) still remains at the top spot, followed by South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen (777). Following his 17th ODI half-century against Afghanistan, Imam-ul-Haq moved up one place to third in the list, overtaking his teammate Fakhar Zaman, who is currently ranked fifth.

Tight competition among bowlers in the latest ODI rankings 

Competition is tough in the ODI bowling rankings as the first match between Pakistan and Afghanistan rewarded some bowlers. While Australia fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood (705) and Mitchell Starc (686) hold the 1st and 2nd positions, respectively, Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman is edging closer to them with 680 points. The 22-year-old climbed three spots to third overall after his three-wicket haul against Pakistan.

Veteran bowlers Mohammad Nabi and Haris Rauf were also rewarded for their impressive performances in the first ODI on Tuesday. Nabi improved one place to 11th with two wickets, while Rauf climbed seven places to a career-high ranking of 36th overall, thanks to his stunning five-wicket haul. Mohammed Siraj (5th) and Kuldeep Yadav (10th) are the two Indian bowlers in the top ten.

Here’s how fans reacted to Shubman Gill becoming the No. 4 ranked ODI batter: