India’s ODI skipper Rohit Sharma, who recently climbed to the No. 2 spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings, faced a surprising twist on Wednesday (August 20) as both he and former captain Virat Kohli were removed from the updated list. Just last week, Kohli held the No. 4 position with 736 rating points, making the sudden omission even more puzzling.
As per ICC norms, players are removed from rankings only after retirement. However, both Rohit and Kohli remain active members of Team India and have played consistently this year. Rohit has featured in eight ODIs, including leading India to a 3-0 win against England in February 2025 and guiding the Men in Blue to five successive victories in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Kohli, too, has played seven ODIs this year, raising serious questions over their unexpected exclusion.
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Meanwhile, Shubman Gill continues to dominate the charts as the No. 1 ODI batter, followed closely by Pakistan’s Babar Azam. West Indies captain Shai Hope also made headlines, climbing to seventh after a match-winning century against Pakistan in the series decider.
On the bowling front, South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj delivered a stunning performance against Australia, claiming 5/33 in the first ODI. His effort not only helped his team but also lifted him to the No. 1 position in the ICC ODI bowling rankings with 687 points. Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana and India’s Kuldeep Yadav slipped to second and third, while Ravindra Jadeja retained his place at ninth.
Among all-rounders, Afghanistan star Azmatullah Omarzai, the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024, continues to lead with 296 points.
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In T20I rankings, Jos Buttler, Tim David, and Yashasvi Jaiswal gained one spot each, sitting at fourth, ninth, and tenth, respectively. South Africa’s Dewald Brevis, however, stole the spotlight with a nine-place leap to No. 12. His breathtaking 125 off just 56 balls in the second T20I against Australia broke mult
