Afghanistan's new sensation Azmatullah Omarzai has achieved a career high by claiming the number one position in the ICC ODI all-rounder rankings following a stunning ICC Champions Trophy campaign.
Only 25 years old, Omarzai passed over his veteran teammate Mohammad Nabi to be ranked No. 1, highlighting his sudden ascent in world cricket. His individual performances at the tournament, including a debut five-wicket haul against England and a match-winning half-century against Australia, brought him 296 career rating points, putting him atop the all-rounder rankings for the first time.
Omarzai’s influence wasn’t confined to the all-rounder standings alone—his batting exploits also saw him leap 12 places to No. 24 after amassing 126 runs in the competition. Another notable mover in the all-rounder category was India’s Axar Patel, who soared 17 spots to 13th with a personal-best 194 rating points.
While that was going on, India's Shubman Gill remained in charge as the No.1 ODI batter, while his countryman Virat Kohli moved up to the fourth position after scoring match-winning knock in the Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia in Dubai.
The recent ICC rankings update also saw major shifts in the batting rankings. Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran, who produced a stunning 177 against England in Lahore, jumped 13 spots to enter the top 10 at No. 10 with 676 rating points. New Zealand's veteran campaigner, Kane Williamson, also improved, going up eight spots to 29th.
In the bowling rankings, New Zealand seamer Matt Henry harvested the fruits of his impressive tournament, moving three positions to third with 649 rating points, behind Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana and South Africa's Keshav Maharaj.
India's Mohammed Shami kept his revival going, moving three positions to 11th, while South Africa's Marco Jansen (nine places to 18th) and England's Jofra Archer (13 places to joint-19th) also moved up the ranks.
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