File image of Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam.© X (Twitter)
India ODI captain Rohit Sharma has leaped up to second spot in the ODI men's batting rankings, trailing only Pakistan captain Babar Azam now. Despite India losing the ODI series against Sri Lanka 2-0, Rohit was the highest run-scorer, scoring 157 runs at a strike rate of 141.44, including two fifties. After Babar, Indian batters occupy the next three spots, with Rohit Sharma in second, Shubman Gill in third and Virat Kohli in fourth. The three are separated by just 19 rating points.
Pakistan's Babar Azam holds a healthy lead at the head of the list for ODI batters, he has some fresh challenges in the form of India skipper Rohit Sharma and Sri Lanka right-hander Pathum Nissanka.
Rohit overtakes teammate Shubman Gill and rises one place to second behind Babar on the back of his series-best 157 runs against Sri Lanka, while Nissanka also gains a spot to move to eighth following his 101 runs from the same series.
Sri Lanka broke a 27-year drought by defeating India for the first time since 1997 during that ODI series, with Kusal Mendis (up five spots to equal 39th) and Avishka Fernando (up 20 places to 68th) also making some gains on the latest list for 50-over batters.
Hard-hitting Netherlands opener Max O'Dowd (up 10 places to 54th) and USA's Monank Patel (up 11 spots to equal 56th) also made ground on this list, while USA's Nosthush Kenjige (up 10 rungs to 49th) and Sri Lanka spinner Dunith Wellalage (up 17 spots to 59th) were among the big movers on the ODI rankings for bowlers.
There was also some movement on the latest Test player rankings, following the draw between the West Indies and South Africa in Trinidad, as per the ICC.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma finds a new career-high rating and improves two places to 16th on the list for Test batters following scores of 86 and 15* against the Caribbean side, while opener Tony de Zorzi gains 29 places to improve to 85th following an excellent 78 in the first innings of the ICC World Test Championship contest.
Jason Holder (up three spots to 67th) and Alick Athanaze (up 12 places to 76th) were among the movers for Test batters from a West Indies perspective, while South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj was the biggest eye-catcher on the latest list for Test bowlers.
Maharaj claimed four wickets in each inning on the way to Player of the Match honours and the left-armer improved seven spots to rise to equal 21st as a result.
The West Indies will be pleased by the ongoing progress of spinner Jomel Warrican, who rises 12 spots to 54th and gains a new career-best rating following his six scalps for the match.